AN INTERVIEW WITH COLLEEN PAEFF AUTHOR OF THE GREAT STINK: HOW JOSEPH BAZALGETTE SOLVED LONDON’S POOP POLLUTION PROBLEM (Margaret K. McElderry Books; $17.99, Ages 4 to 8)     e SHORT SUMMARY The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London's Poop Pollution Problem combines history and engineering to tell the true story of how one amazing engineer cleaned the stinking River Thames and stopped a deadly cholera epidemic by building London's first modern sewer system. Illustrations by Nancy Carpenter provide humor, historical details, and plenty of STEM-related discussion starters, while the book's back matter delves into "Poop Pollution Today"…

10 BACK-TO-SCHOOL BOOKS ∼A ROUNDUP FOR 2021∼         Back-to school this year is not only the start of a new school year, for many it's also a return to in-person learning in over a year. For others, it's really the first time ever to attend daycare, preschool, or elementary school. This selection of ten assorted books highlights all the things that returning to school means for kids.     MEET YOUR SCHOOL!: An All About Me Book Written by Cindy Jin Illustrated by Melissa Crowton (Little Simon; $7.99, Ages 1-5) Cindy Jin’s upbeat 12-page school-shaped board book,…

  AN INTERVIEW WITH RAJANI LAROCCA AUTHOR OF WHERE THREE OCEANS MEET (Abrams Books for Young Readers; $17.99, Ages 4 to 8) MY LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK ABOUT KAMALA HARRIS (Little Golden Books; $5.99, Ages 2 to 5) THE SECRET CODE INSIDE YOU: ALL ABOUT YOUR DNA (Little Bee Books; $17.99, Ages 4 to 8)     SHORT SUMMARY: Where Three Oceans Meet, written by Rajani LaRocca and illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan A child, mother, and grandmother travel all the way to the end of the earth in this picture book that celebrates multigenerational love—perfect for fans of Drawn Together and…

      AN INTERVIEW WITH ABI CUSHMAN AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR OF ANIMALS GO VROOM! (Viking Children’s Books; $17.99, Ages 2 to 5)         SHORT SUMMARY: Animals Go Vroom! Written and illustrated by Abi Cushman With a nod to Richard Scarry, this inventive picture book surprises readers with every turn of the page! Hiss! Screech! Roar! It’s a noisy day in Bumperville! But are the sounds what you think they are? That Honk! must surely be a goose. But turn the page and it’s the taxi that a goose is driving! Using cleverly placed die-cuts, this inventive book hints…

PLANT, COOK, EAT!: A Children's Cookbook by Joe Archer and Caroline Craig (Charlesbridge; $18.99, Ages 7-10)         ★Starred Review - Kirkus    Joe Archer and Caroline Craig’s middle-grade Plant, Cook, Eat!: A Children’s Cookbook covers food from seed to table with easy-to-understand text and full-color photos or images throughout. The helpful introduction includes information about plants: what parts we eat, how they reproduce, and how we can help them grow with the right amount of warmth, light, nutrients, and water. Learn what healthy soil and compost consist of, then how to choose and prepare an ideal location…

THE BOY AND THE SEA Written by Camille Andros Illustrated by Amy Bates (Abrams BYR; $17.99, Ages 6-8)         Written by Camille Andros and illustrated by Amy Bates, The Boy and the Sea is a contemplative, thought-provoking story that depicts growing up as the ebb and flow of questions not easily answerable.  The story begins with the main character, a little boy, who lives by the sea. Like the sea, the boy is sometimes “dark and dangerous” and at other times “tranquil and tender.” These descriptors become refrains as we watch the boy grow from his elementary…

  OUT OF THE BLUE: How Animals Evolved from Prehistoric Seas Written by Elizabeth Shreeve Illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon (Candlewick; $17.99, Ages 6-9)         ★Starred Reviews - Kirkus and School Library Journal   Before the text begins, Elizabeth Shreeve’s nonfiction picture book cleverly has readers guess, among hippos, dolphins, and sharks, which two animals are the closest relatives? For the answer, you’ll have to read Out of the Blue: How Animals Evolved from Prehistoric Seas. e     e Shreeve impressively chronicles life on Earth from its beginning until present. Yet, for such an intricate topic, her…

  TURTLE IN PARADISE: The Graphic Novel Written by Jennifer L. Holm Illustrated by Savanna Ganucheau Colors by Lark Penn (RH Graphic; HC $20.99, Paperback $12.99, Ages 8-12) e e e ★Starred Review - School Library Journal An excellent way to introduce middle-grade readers to Holm’s Newbery Honor book of family, friendship, and home.   In 1935, eleven-year-old Turtle is sent to Key West, Florida to live with relatives she’s never known in the graphic novel adaptation of Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm and Savanna Ganucheau. Turtle's single mother, Sadiemae works as a maid for a New Jersey…