Big new titles perfect for the littles.
If it feels like summer is racing by — how is it already the end of July? — try putting on the brakes with these three new releases. They’re all colorful, playful, and just the thing to enjoy in the backyard hammock (or during a socially distanced picnic at the park) with your favorite baby bookworm.
Dozens of Doughnuts by Carrie Finison and Brianne Farley (G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers). “Early one morning as autumn leaves scatter, LouAnn’s busy stirring a big bowl of batter.” The industrious bear is baking a huge batch of doughnuts to eat before her winter snooze. Soon, hungry woodland pals start arriving, so she carefully divides up the treats over and over. But what happens when there’s nothing left for LouAnn? (Kids will enjoy the clever rhymes so much they won’t suspect they’re getting a math lesson in the process.)
How to Potty Train Your Porcupine by Tom Toro (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers). “Our parents will let us keep the porcupine if she doesn’t make a mess…” How are the brother and sister supposed to keep that from happening, though? Their prickly new pet can’t exactly share the cat’s litterbox (they tried), wear a diaper (they tried that, too), or go on a newspaper (ditto). Their inventive solution, when they finally discover it, will delight parents and children alike, not to mention fans of author/illustrator Toro’s New Yorker cartoons.
The Pirates Are Coming! by John Condon and Matt Hunt (Nosy Crow). Young Tom dutifully scans the horizon for invaders each morning. It’s his job, after all. But he has a habit of yelling “Pirates!” a bit too often, alerting the increasingly annoyed villagers to dangerous marine marauders who never materialize. Until, of course, they do. Splashy illustrations and witty twists make this fun take on The Boy Who Cried Wolf! utterly irresistible.
