Big new titles perfect for the littles.
For parents and kids, the end of summer signals one thing: the start of school! Whether those in your area are operating as usual, are fully online, or are attempting a hybrid approach, the beginning of the school year is all about transitions, learning new things, and figuring out who you are. Here are three new or forthcoming releases that capture the excitement — and anxiousness — of doing just that.
I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes and Gordon C. James (Nancy Paulsen Books). “I am a nonstop ball of energy. Powerful and full of light. I am a go-getter. A difference maker. A leader.” So begins this empowering story from award-winning author-illustrator team Barnes and James. Page after page celebrates the exuberant, everyday humanity of Black boys living in a world that often refuses to see them as fully human. As one youngster asserts, “I am not what they might call me, and I will not answer to any name that is not my own.”
Clover Kitty Goes to Kittygarten by Laura Purdie Salas and Hiroe Nakata (Two Lions). Clover Kitty prefers calm, peaceful things like knitting, napping, and nibbling kibble. All is well until one Monday morning, when “Mama Kitty announced, ‘Do you remember what today is? The first day of kittygarten!’” Uh-oh. Will the wee cat be able to handle the “high fives and curly slides, dusty chalk and gluey paws” of the classroom and playground? Of course she will!
Mommy, I Need My Wheels by Jeanne Fortune and Blueberry Illustrations (5 Ms Publishing). “‘Mommy, my wheels are missing. I can’t ride my bike,’ Eddy said.” What the perplexed little guy doesn’t realize is that he can ride it — once he figures out how to balance and pedal without training wheels. After a few spills, tears, and doubts, he does just that. (In addition to English, this book is available in Haitian Creole.)
