AN INTERVIEW WITH  ANNA CROWLEY REDDING AUTHOR OF THE GRAVITY TREE: THE TRUE STORY OF A TREE THAT INSPIRED THE WORLD Illustrated By Yas Imamura (HarperCollins; $17.99, Ages 4 to 8)     ★Starred Review - Kirkus Reviews      SHORT SUMMARY: The Gravity Tree: The True Story of a Tree That Inspired the World Written by Anna Crowley Redding and illustrated by Yas Imamura From Emmy Award-winning journalist Anna Crowley Redding comes a captivating nonfiction picture book that explores the fabled apple tree that inspired Isaac Newton’s theory of gravity. From a minor seed to a monumental…

  Itty-Bitty-Kitty-Corn Written by Shannon Hale Illustrated by LeUyen Pham (Abrams BYR; $18.99, Ages 4-8)       ★Starred Review - Publishers Weekly   Itty-Bitty-Kitty-Corn, written by Shannon Hale and illustrated by LeUyen Pham, begins on the front endpapers with Kitty who is gazing admiringly at a picture of a unicorn. But how, she wonders, can she make herself into one? She gets an idea and takes out her crafts box, removing paper, paint, and glue. She makes herself a colorful horn out of paper and ties it to her head with a piece from her purple ball of string.…

RUBY'S REUNION DAY DINNER Written by Angela Dalton Illustrated by Jestenia Southerland (HarperCollins Children’s Books; $17.99, Ages 4-8)         Written by Angela Dalton and illustrated by Jestenia Southerland, Ruby’s Reunion Day Dinner adds layers of food and family fun with fair warning:  this story will make readers hungry!  Ruby’s family is getting together to make their annual dinner. But it’s “not just any dinner-[it’s] a soul food dinner.” She knows each family member has a special dish for the reunion that only they make. She wants to create her very own “signature dish” but struggles to find…

  WHOLE WHALE Written by Karen Yin Illustrated by Nelleke Verhoeff (Barefoot Books; $19.99, Ages 3-6)       Karen Yin's debut picture book is truly original, packed with rollicking rhyme, and an important story presented in bold vibrant art from Nelleke Verhoeff. In other words, it's got all the things a young reader would want in a read-aloud! And then some (100 some to be exact!) From my first glimpse of the cover, with its beautiful, shiny raised letters along with lots of yellow—which always pulls me in—I was hooked by the look of Whole Whale. Then I dove in…

  THE MIRROR: BROKEN WISH (The Mirror, 1) Written by Julie C. Dao (Disney-Hyperion; $18.99, Ages 14-18)       Before I even started reading, this four-book fairy-tale series intrigued me because the books will be written by four different authors, the story following one family (and the curse that plagues it) over several generations. Awesome, right? The first book in the Mirror series, Broken Wish by Julie C. Dao, delivers. Let me tell you a bit about sixteen-year-old Elva and her powers. Set in 1865 Hanau, Germany, Elva has been taught to hide her magical abilities so her family…

SLOTH & SQUIRREL IN A PICKLE Written by Cathy Ballou Mealey Illustrated by Kelly Collier (Kids Can Press; $17.99, Ages 3-7)     The dill-ightful title of this new picture book, Sloth & Squirrel in a Pickle by Cathy Ballou Mealey with adorable art by Kelly Collier, will immediately grab you even if it doesn't immediately grab sloth whose slow motion throughout the story is one of the recurring elements that make it hysterical to read-aloud. I'm talking Lucy and Ethel hysterical. You may not see my smile as I'm writing this, but trust me it's here now and was…

  NEW MOTHER'S DAY BOOKS FOR CHILDREN ∼ A ROUNDUP ∼   Let's give a round of applause to moms everywhere on Mother's Day with this great selection of Mother's Day books that perhaps express what children cannot. The pandemic has been a challenge and moms, you stepped up to the plate, or should I say multiple plates, and made things work. Sometimes it wasn't easy. You wondered if your hard work was appreciated or how long you'd be able to keep the smile on your face. Sometimes you didn't smile and that's okay. There were a lot of gray…

      AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR -ILLUSTRATOR ISABELLA KUNG ON THE BOOK BIRTHDAY OF 1 2 3 CATS: A COUNTING BOOK AND ABC CATS: AN ALPHA-CAT BOOK Written by Lesléa Newman (Candlewick Books; $7.99 each, Ages 2 to 5)     SHORT SUMMARY: 1 2 3 Cats: A Cat Counting Book Meet cats from one to a dozen in this adorable board book introduction to counting with a feline twist. Author Lesléa Newman draws on her love for (and familiarity with) cats in a concept book for the very young, while illustrator Isabella Kung captures the animals’ movements and…