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…

  JET THE CAT (IS NOT A CAT) Written by Phaea Crede  Illustrated by Terry Runyan (Barefoot Books; $16.99 HC/$8.99 PB, Ages 3-7)       REVIEW Jet the Cat, the picture book debut from Phaea Crede with another debut for illustrations by Terry Runyan, is a story all the kids and adults will have fun reading. I can almost hear their giggles. It all started when Phaea got inspired by her mom’s cat Eddie. Eddie, unlike other cats, loved to take baths. “I tried to imagine what other cats might think if they caught Eddie happily splashing around. I…

30,000 STITCHES: THE INSPIRING STORY OF THE NATIONAL 9/11 FLAG Written by Amanda Davis Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport (Worthy Kids; $17.99, Ages 5-8)         For those of us who are old enough, the story of 9/11 will never be forgotten. Horrible images are etched in our minds. But if we look hard enough, we will find beauty from the darkness of that day. 30,000 STITCHES documents some of those moments. It is THE INSPIRING STORY OF THE NATIONAL 9/11 FLAG.  SUMMARY Author, Amanda Davis, takes us on a thoughtfully worded journey of kindness and healing. The…