Big new titles perfect for the littles.
The Truth about Max by Alice and Martin Provensen (Enchanted Lion Books). Are cats loving, mischievous, aloof, cuddly, imperious, clingy, or distant? Yes! They’re all those things, which is what makes Max so irresistible. He is a “mighty hunter” who surveys his kingdom — okay, the farm where he lives — with his “important” tail in the air and his eyes always on the lookout. And at night? As cat lovers know, that’s when “his real life begins.” This charming ode to felines also serves as a new generation’s introduction to the late Caldecott-winning team of Alice and Martin Provensen, whose artistry is on exquisite display in these pages.
And Then Comes School by Tom Brenner (author) and Jen Hill (illustrator) (Candlewick). “When the August sun turns green lawns brown, and neighbors linger in spots of shade, and evening brings out the scritchy songs of katydids and cicadas…” Well, you know what that means. Summer is coming to an end. And you surely know what THAT means: School is about to start! “When dinner is done and your first-day outfit has been decided, and your new backpack is stuffed with supplies, and your lunch box is packed with all your favorite things…” Are you excited — and maybe a tiny bit anxious? Of course! That’s why it’s all so thrilling!
Under the Blanket Sky by Tim Fischer (Doubleday Books for Young Readers). “In the morning of a summer day, with a brush of wind and flutter of sunlight, a strange creature appeared beside me. His feathers shivered like soft grass, he smelled like the sky and though he did not say a word, he smiled at me with his bright eyes.” With that, the lonely young boy meets a majestic owl, and a bond is forged. Will they be together forever? No, for the owl must eventually fly away. But a bittersweet goodbye, this dreamy tale suggests, can’t erase the beauty of a precious hello.
