THE PERFECT PLAN Written and illustrated by Leah Gilbert (Bloomsbury Children's Books; $17.99; Ages 3-6)         ★Starred Reviews - Foreward Reviews, Kirkus   In The Perfect Plan, author/illustrator Leah Gilbert takes the reader along on a magical journey with Maya, the main character who hopes to build a special place for dreaming and playing in the forest. Through perseverance and teamwork, she builds a fort grander than anything she could have imagined in Gilbert’s enchanting second picture book.     Transporting readers through spreads of tall brown trees and tiny yellow birds, Gilbert’s art encompasses all…

  PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! Written by Tracy Marchini Illustrated by Julia Christians (Page Street Kids; $17.99, Ages 4-8)         If you’re looking for an empowering new take on fairy tale princesses, look no further than Tracy Marchini’s picture book Princesses Can Fix It! This homage to The Twelve Dancing Princesses shows readers that princesses (and princes) can do whatever they set their minds to, no matter what anyone else thinks.     At the start of the book, we learn that there is a problem in the King's castle. The alligators from the moat have escaped…

    AN INTERVIEW WITH KIRSTEN W. LARSON AUTHOR OF A TRUE WONDER: The Comic Book Hero Who Changed Everything ILLUSTRATED BY KATY WU (Clarion Books; $17.99, Ages 4 to 7)     ★Starred reviews - Booklist and Kirkus     SUMMARY "A behind-the-scenes look at the creation and evolution of Wonder Woman, the iconic character who has inspired generations of girls and women as a symbol of female strength and power. Perhaps the most popular female superhero of all time, Wonder Woman was created by Bill Marston in 1941, upon the suggestion of his wife, Elizabeth. Wonder Woman soon…

SEL-THEMED BOARD BOOKS ∼ A ROUNDUP ∼       THE KIDS ON THE BUS: A Spin-the-Wheel Book of Emotions Written by Kirsten Hall Illustrated by Melissa Crowton (Chronicle; $9.99,  Ages 2-4) In Kirsten Hall’s fun 16-page interactive board book, The Kids on the Bus: A Spin-the-Wheel Book of Emotions, we meet a variety of animals with different emotions. Set to the tune of the familiar song, lines include, “The bear on the bus laughs, ‘Hee, hee, hee, . . . all ’round the town.’” This novelty book is shaped like a school bus. Melissa Crowton’s lively and inclusive illustrations…

THE WALL AND THE WILD Written by Christina Dendy Illustrated by Katie Rewse (Lantana Publishing; $17.99, Ages 4-8)          Welcome to Day Four of The Wall and the Wild Blog Tour! Scroll up or down for the full tour graphic.     The Wall and the Wild, the debut picture book from Christina Dendy with vibrant art by Katie Rewse is in its own lovely way, a call of the wild. Lured in by the cover illustration, I was beckoned on by the gratifying marriage of language and illustrations. As the story opens, readers see a treetop…

  FADE INTO THE BRIGHT Written by Jessica Koosed Etting + Alyssa Embree Schwartz (Delacorte Press; $17.99,  Ages 12 and up)          “Would knowing how you were going to die change the way you choose to live?” That question drove coauthors Jessica Koosed Etting and Alyssa Embree Schwartz to write their YA, Fade into the Bright. From the opening pages, eighteen-year-old Abby’s voice pulled me in: “Obviously, it happened right before Christmas. Because don’t all extremely shitty things happen right around the holidays?” This refers to the news Abby and her older sister Brooke receive from their…

  GOOD NIGHT, OPPY! Written by James McGowan Illustrated by Graham Carter (Boyds Mills Press; $17.99, Ages 4-8)         Good Reads With Ronna is thrilled to be the third stop on the Good Night, Oppy! Blog Tour. I didn't hesitate to join in when I heard that James McGowan's debut picture book was about the Mars rover, Opportunity. I live less than a mile or so from NASA's JPL (Jet Propulsion Lab) where the rovers are created, maintained, and communicated with so I was eager to learn more about Oppy. She was first launched in 2003 when…

BURT THE BEETLE DOESN'T BITE! Written and illustrated by Ashley Spires (Kids Can Press; $12.99, Ages 5-8)         Sticky Burt is a bug who hugs!   Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite! is the first in a new series by Ashley Spires, the author and illustrator of The Most Magnificent Thing and the Binky adventure series. Meet Burt, he’s a ten-lined June (or watermelon) beetle. Burt has feathered antennae, a large body, a sticky abdomen, and can flail his legs when he falls on his back (but needs assistance flipping over). He notices that other insects have special…