WALKING FOR WATER: How One Boy Stood Up for Gender Equality Written by Susan Hughes Illustrated by Nicole Miles (Kids Can Press; $17.99, Ages 6-8)       There are over a dozen terrific books in the Citizen Kid series and the latest, Walking for Water by award-winning author Susan Hughes, is no exception. This story, inspired by "the recent experience of a thoughtful and fair-minded 13-year-old Malawian boy" takes readers to the landlocked country in southeastern Africa to meet eight-year-old twins Victor and his sister, Linesi. Readers know right from the start that the pair are close. On this…

      THE POLIO PIONEER: DR. JONAS SALK AND THE POLIO VACCINE Written by Linda Elovitz Marshall Illustrated by Lisa Anchin (Knopf BYR; $17.99; AGES 4-8)       A topic on everyone's tongues these days is vaccinations. When she wrote this book, Linda E Marshall likely had no idea how relevant her book would be today and how once again, an innovative vaccine is saving lives around the world.    The book opens with four-year-old Jonas Salk sitting on top of his father’s shoulders during the victory parade celebrating the end of World War I. But Jonas doesn’t…

GWENDOLYN'S PET GARDEN Written by Anne Renaud Illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh (Nancy Paulsen Books; $17.99, Ages 4-8)     In the picture book, Gwendolyn’s Pet Garden by Anne Renaud, we know the problem from the opening line: “Gwendolyn Newberry-Fretz wanted a pet.” A very relatable problem indeed. Yet, Gwendolyn’s parents are not on board with the pet idea and, instead, get her some dirt which “smells of possibilities” to them. Gwendolyn thinks it smells like a swamp! Yet, once the garden gets underway, she reconsiders how she feels about this compromise. e   Rashin Kheiriyeh’s illustrations peppered with bright accents pull…

  SCAREDY SQUIRREL IN A NUTSHELL (Book #1 in Scaredy’s Nutty Adventures) By Melanie Watt (Penguin Random BYR; $12.99, Ages 6-9)     e   WARNING! This book is absolutely … NUTS! Award-winning author and illustrator Melanie Watt, well known for her Scaredy Squirrel picture book series, has created her first graphic novel, Scaredy Squirrel in a Nutshell, featuring a squirrel beset by many (and often improbable) fears about life outside his beloved nut tree. To his credit, Scaredy Squirrel confronts each challenge with an elaborate and hilarious action plan that's often doomed to failure. From the potential alien landing…

  AN INTERVIEW WITH JAMIE MICHALAK  AUTHOR OF DAKOTA CRUMB: TINY TREASURE HUNTER ∼ BLOG TOUR ∼ (Candlewick Press; $17.99, Ages 3-7)         PICTURE BOOK SUMMARY: Dakota Crumb: Tiny Treasure Hunter by Jamie Michalak with art by Kelly Murphy is both a rollicking story with a dash of danger and, in its final eye-popping spreads, a seek-and-find challenge. As the clock in the great museum tick-tocks past midnight, a little mouse with a sack and a treasure map scurries past the guards. Plucky Dakota Crumb scours the museum for artifacts, including the rare purple jewel of Cairo…

RECTANGLE TIME Written by Pamela Paul Illustrated by Becky Cameron (Philomel Books; $17.99, Ages 4-8)         Tell me there’s a story about cats and books and I’m in! New York Times Book Review editor Pamela Paul’s picture book, Rectangle Time, unfolds from the family’s calico cat’s perspective. Through humor and heartwarming moments, the cat and boy grow from lap reading to independent reading—the calico certainly has its opinions about which type it prefers. “Watch carefully: See how the man and the boy hold the rectangle together? That means they each have one hand free for me.”  …

  ISOBEL ADDS IT UP Written by Kristy Everington Illustrated by AG Ford (Random House Studio; $17.99, Ages 3-7)     REVIEW: As a former teacher, I was immediately intrigued by the cover of Isobel Adds It Up written by Kristy Everington with illustrations by AG Ford. A girl with a pencil in her hand, and an elephant with a pencil in its trunk solve math problems with smiles on their faces! Isobel, a math-loving girl, can’t concentrate with noisy neighbors! Disrupted by loud bangs and shaking walls, she imagines acrobats, marching bands, a basketball team, and definitely big feet!…

A CURIOUS KID'S GUIDE TO THE AWESOME 50 STATES by Dinah Williams (Shelter Harbor Press; $19.99. Ages 8 and up)         We are all overdue to pile into the car and get out of the house, and what better book to pack in your suitcase than editor and children’s book author Dinah Williams’ book A Curious Kids Guide to the Awesome 50 States? This cool compendium for kids with curious minds provides more than 1,200 quirky, fun facts about all our states for this summer’s cross-country trips or armchair traveling. Williams’ colorful, hard-cover book, filled with photos…