Big new titles perfect for the littles.
One Sweet Song by Jyoti Rajan Gopal (author) and Sonia Sánchez (illustrator) (Candlewick). “One note trills…floating in the air. A little girl listens, perched on a chair. She rings a chime, soft and true. One note trills and now there are two.” On and on the music grows — from one note to 10 and back down again — as folks in the vibrant, diverse neighborhood add their own instruments to the chorus, creating finally, “One sweet song for heart and soul. One sweet song to make us whole.”
Buffalo Fluffalo by Bess Kalb (author) and Erin Kraan (illustrator) (Random House Studio). “There once was a Buffalo Fluffalo…a snuffalo, scruffalo, surly old buffalo, Who was ever so snarly and gnarly and tuffalo. ‘I’m the Buffalo Fluffalo — I heave and I huffalo. Leave me alone because I’ve had enuffalo!’” Fine. The prairie dog, the ram, and the rest will keep their distance. But when a rainstorm drenches the overstuffed blusterer and his soggy fur reveals more of a pipsqueak than a powerhouse? Well, the other critters still want to be his friends. (And they always suspected he wasn’t much of a tough guy!)
How to Be Brave by Karl Newson (author) and Clara Anganuzzi (illustrator) (Templar Books). “In our great big world, it can feel scary to try something new without knowing how it will turn out.” But as the zebras, cheetahs, elephants, tortoises, penguins, gorillas, bears, and other animals demonstrate for the young boy, we’ve all got pals to help us along the way as we grow, learn, stumble, and get back up! As the wise creatures understand, “You might not know how each adventure will end…but you’re never alone when it is shared with friends.”
