A GIRL LIKE YOU by Frank Murphy and Carla Murphy Illustrated by Kayla Harren (Sleeping Bear Press; $16.99; Ages 4-8)         In A Girl Like You teacher/coach/author Frank Murphy, and first time picture book author Carla Murphy, along with illustrator Kayla Harren, celebrate all the wonderful ways there are to be a girl in this world and empower girls to be strong, daring, brave and bold. Harren's beautifully composed art introduces a diverse group of people and age ranges packed together as our confident main character stands amongst them with her companion dog right by her…

AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR SUSAN KUSEL ABOUT HER DEBUT PICTURE BOOK THE PASSOVER GUEST (Neal Porter Books; $18.99, Ages 4-8)   e SHORT SUMMARY: In The Passover Guest, written by Susan Kusel and illustrated by Sean Rubin, Muriel assumes her family is too poor to hold a Passover Seder this year, but an act of kindness and a mysterious magician change everything.   INTERVIEW: GoodReadsWithRonna: Welcome, Susan! Congratulations on your debut picture book, The Passover Guest! Susan Kusel: Thank you so much for having me here! I am honored to be on this blog GRWR:  How does it feel as…

MEET JANIE BYNUM AUTHOR-ILLUSTRATOR OF CHICK CHAT (NorthSouth Books; $17.95, Ages 4-8)       It's Day One of the CHICK CHAT BLOG TOUR as well as its book birthday! Peep! Peep! GRWR is so happy to participate and celebrate the hatching. Please enjoy the following interview with Chick Chat author-illustrator Janie Bynum and her insights on this fun new read-aloud picture book for children.   CHICK CHAT SUMMARY: Friendship comes in all shapes and sizes. Peep, peep, peep! Baby Chick has a lot to say! Everyone in Chick’s family is too busy to chat with her. But when chatty baby Chick adopts…

BECOMING A GOOD CREATURE Written by Sy Montgomery Illustrated by Rebecca Green (HMH BYR; $17.99, Ages 4-7)       ★Starred Reviews - Kirkus, School Library Journal   Sy Montgomery’s New York Times best-selling memoir, How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals, inspired the picture book, Becoming a Good Creature. Herein she conveys her beliefs that we can—and should—learn from animals. Montgomery’s fundamental messages include “respect others,” “find good teachers,” and “see for yourself.” She encourages us to take a closer look at the world and everything inhabiting it. In doing so, we are bound to…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TREES! Written by Karen Rostoker-Gruber Illustrated by Holly Sterling (Kar-Ben Publishing; $7.99, Ages 1-4)     Happy Birthday, Trees!, written by Karen Rostoker-Gruber and illustrated by Holly Sterling, is a 12-page board book that just exudes joy and one I can easily recommend for the annual holiday of Tu B'Shevat, a Jewish Arbor Day. Tu B'Shevat or Tu BiShevat has, over the years, grown to become a celebration of nature and the environment and a time to reflect on the importance of trees since we are their only caretakers. This year, the holiday begins on the evening of…

THE POISONED APPLE: A Fractured Fairy Tale Written and illustrated by Anne Lambelet (Page Street Kids; $17.99, Ages 4-8)       THE REVIEW: Good effortlessly thwarts evil in this reimagined Snow White story, The Poisoned Apple:  A Fractured Fairy Tale, by author/illustrator Anne Lambelet.  Irritated with a princess who is much too wholesome and “sweet” for her own good (how dare she be!), a witch is on the search for rare ingredients to concoct a “single apple-poisoning spell.” Kids will get a kick out of watching the witch carefully collect these ingredients in her hopes of getting rid of…

A YEAR OF EVERYDAY WONDERS Written by Cheryl B. Klein Illustrated by Qin Leng (Abrams BYR; $16.99, Ages 4-8)   e BOOK REVIEW If ever there was a year of wonders, I think 2020 would be it, both for adults and children, the whole world over. For this reason, I found Cheryl B. Klein’s A Year of Everyday Wonders especially meaningful though clearly her thoughtful book was created without the pandemic in mind. The book follows a young girl, along with the people in her world, through all the “firsts” during the year.  Some of the lines are poetic, like…