THE SMALLEST SNOWFLAKE Written and illustrated by Bernadette Watts (NorthSouth Books; $17.95, Ages 4-8)       English author and illustrator Bernadette Watts brings her inspiration for nature into The Smallest Snowflake, a heartfelt story about a little snowflake who journeys to earth with the other snowflakes while holding her dreams quietly in her heart. Watts’ writing brings life to the small pieces of ice each sharing their excitement about their winter voyage. Flowing from the clouds, they see “fields and the orchards, the red roofs of farms, and the lovely city standing at the end of the…

    KEEPUNUMUK: Weeâchumun’s Thanksgiving Story Written by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, and Alexis Bunten Illustrated by Garry Meeches Sr. (Charlesbridge; $16.99, Ages 3-7)       ★Starred Reviews - Booklist, Foreward Reviews, Kirkus A 2022 New England Book Award winner     From the publisher: Four Native American creators weave together the story of Keepunumuk, the time of harvest. In this Wampanoag story told in a Native tradition, two kids from the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe learn the story of Weeâchumun (corn) and the first Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving story that most Americans know celebrates the Pilgrims. But without members of…

    THE GREAT CAPER CAPER Written by Josh Funk Illustrated by Brendan Kearney (Union Square Kids; $17.99, Ages 4-8)         REVIEW: Welcome back to the fridge, home of the popular food pair, Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast. It's an honor to be part of this virtual tour packed with passionate kidlit people helping to promote Josh Funk and Brendan Kearney's latest picture book, The Great Caper Caper, #5 in the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series!     When the story opens (see above illustrations), Sir French Toast awakens during the night only to…

THANKFUL THANKSGIVING Written by Deb Adamson Illustrated by Benedetta Capriotti (Cottage Door Press; $8.99, Ages: 1-4)         REVIEW: There’s much to be grateful for this holiday season, including the appropriately titled book THANKFUL THANKSGIVING. This board book for young readers sets the mood with autumn colors and a family of cheery mice carrying baked goods on the cover. You can expect to read along to Deb Adamson’s delicious rhyme and experience the comfort of positive vibes in this sixteen-page read-aloud. ee ee Family, friends, laughter, food, and music fill the pages providing a reliable message for this…

  KEEPER OF THE LIGHT: JULIET FISH NICHOLS FIGHTS THE SAN FRANCISCO FOG Written by Caroline Arnold Illustrated by Rachell Sumpter (Cameron Kids; $18.99, Ages 4-8)           Keeper of the Light written by Caroline Arnold and illustrated by Rachell Sumpter is a fascinating, "fictionalized account based on true events and historical documents about Juliet Fish Nichols ..." I love learning about historical figures, especially women who had non-traditional careers, whose stories might never be told were it not for an inquisitive picture book author.     A widow at 42 and in need of a steady…

  AGENT 9: MIND CONTROL! by James Burks (Razorbill; Hardcover $18.99, Paperback $12.99, Ages 8-12)         I knew I was going to love James Burks's latest graphic novel, Agent 9: Mind Control! (book #2) from the opening sequence alone. A slick sports car races up swerving roads to the secret lab location of DiViSiON, an evil organization headed by Octopus (aka IQ). Wolf, the novel's nemesis, emerges from the vehicle and traverses a bridge as a nasty storm unleashes its fury. The dark tones, pounding rain, and the familiar spy tropes of a James Bond film instantly…

  SO NOT GHOUL Written by Karen Yin Illustrated by Bonnie Lui (Page Street Kids; $18.99, Ages 4-8)         Rod Stewart's "You Wear It Well" is the song that crossed my mind as I read So Not Ghoul, the multi-layered picture book written by Karen Yin and illustrated by Bonnie Lui where the main character Mimi learns to embrace her uniqueness and cultural identity.     Mimi is a Chinese American ghost who haunts a school but feels constrained by the outdated demands of her ancestors. "Good Chinese girl ghosts must cover their faces with their hair,"…

  CHILDREN'S HALLOWEEN BOOKS ROUNDUP 2022         CREEPY CRAYON! (Creepy Tales! series) Written by Aaron Reynolds Illustrated by Peter Brown (Simon & Schuster BYR; $18.99, Ages 4-8 ) ★Starred Review - Kirkus Aaron Reynolds delights us with book three of the Creepy Tales! series featuring his beloved Jasper Rabbit. In Creepy Crayon! Jasper’s not-great day gets a boost when he finds a bright purple crayon—with a crazy grin on its face! Soon, the crayon is helping Jasper zoom his grades up to straight As. Cool, right? Maybe . . . until the crayon takes BFF to the…