Bear and Bird: The Secret and Other Stories, by Jarvis. Candlewick Press, Penguin Random House. 2025. $23.50 ages 3 and up

 

"The Secret

It might not surprise you to learn that 
Bear was terrible at keeping secrets. 
Like when he told everybody the 
secret ingredient in Mouse's cheese 
pie (extra cheese).
Or the time when he told everybody 
about Rabbit getting stuck in the toilet. 
And when he told everybody the 
reason why Bird doesn't fly. Well, 
Bird did not like that at all.
Once Bear knew a secret, he found 
it impossible to keep it."

This sixth book of short stories from Jarvis about two best friends is just as warm and amusing as each of the first five. I have loved them all, and am delighted when I get a chance to share them with young readers. While they may not always agree on issues that arise, the two friends do want the other to be happy. It may take time, but they find a way to sort out their troubles, and that leads back to acceptance and understanding. 

The four short stories in this newest book have to do with a list, lasagna, a secret, and a tree. When Bird learns that Bear has nicknames for his other friends, but has not chosen one for Bird, she is upset. In response, Bird decides to write her own list in a letter to Bear, calling him a bunch of rude names meant to be hurtful. She is ready to deliver it when Rabbit scoots by and takes Bird's shopping list to the market. You might be able to guess what happens next with the two lists. The mix-up is enough to make any young reader giggle. When Bird apologizes for her response to her friend, Bear's reasoning for not giving Bird a nickname is heartwarming. 

The following stories deal with likes and dislikes, the importance of keeping secrets most of the time, and how a game of hide-and-seek ends up having friends realize just how happy they are to be together. These tales of friendship are always thoughtful, kind, and charming, despite mix-ups and misunderstandings. 

All six books in this series are perfect for young readers yearning for independence in their reading lives. You can't go wrong adding them to your library shelves. 

Drawing Is ... Your Guide to Scribbled Adventures, by Elizabeth Haidle. tundra, Penguin Random House. 2025. $26.99 ages 9 and up

"Drawing is ... FEELING

Let's dip below the surface now. How can 
drawing hint at what's inside? 

What emotions do these faces express? 
The eyebrows say a lot.

Here's an exercise I've tried. 
Fill a page with circles. Add noses, 
eyes, mouths. Adjust the eyebrow
positions slightly to create different 
expressions."

This is the book I needed when I was a classroom teacher and trying to help my students learn about the strategies illustrators used to help tell the wonderful stories we were reading in the books we shared daily. I do not have an artistic bent, so I was learning along with my students. I was constantly searching for techniques that would inform my teaching. This book would have helped tremendously. 

The author begins with what drawing is NOT. It is NOT a contest, it is NOT right or wrong, it is NOT just for the "talented ones", it is NOT a waste of time, and it is NOT exercise. Rather, it is a way to 'explore, think and feel, experiment and question'. When readers can recognize that, they are ready to get at it. The table of contents offers Ms. Haidle's idea for what drawing is. It is traveling, wondering, focusing, feeling, growing, not-knowing, and magic. 

She explains to those sharing her ideas that what is needed to get started is a dot and a line that takes you somewhere. No need to rush; there are questions to be considered. From there she suggests that aspiring artists proceed forward on scribbled adventures that take into account scale, texture, pattern, and contrast. Her observations and instructions are filled with helping her readers pay attention to the processes they are using, rather than the final product. She encourages at every turn, with no expectations only a willingness to give it a try. It isn't until the last six pages that repeatable exercises are suggested. 

Now, get out a sketchbook and see what happens! 

Across the Ice: How We Saved the Ojibwe Horse, written by Darcy Whitecrow and Heather M. O'Connor. Illustrated by Natasha Donovan. Candlewick Press, Penguin Random House. 2025. $24.99 ages 5 and up

 

"The government didn't like our little wild ponies. 
They called them a nuisance and a health hazard. 
They were going to shoot them. We couldn't let 
that happen. Our ancestors had bred these ponies
for many generations. They were our spirit animals. 
Our friends. They were the last of their kind. We 
had to save them. But how?"

It's a highly anticipated evening for two young members of the Lac La Croix First Nation in northwestern Ontario. They cannot sleep with a house full of relatives all eager for what's about to happen. Nookomis reminds them they must continue to wait. She is persuaded to retell the story of the wild ponies who once shared their land. Those horses were a great help to the people through the winter, and on their trip to summer camps. They would wander free in the summer to birth their foals and always be brought back in the autumn. 

The last time Nookomis saw them, there were only four left. The people determined to save these spirit animals and made careful plans to take them to safety in Minnesota. There was only one way to transport them - across the frozen lake. With time and patience, they were rounded up and taken away. Nookomis had not seen them for forty years. 

Complications in growing the herd from four to more once again took time and effort. Today they are called Ojibwe horses in honor of the family's ancestors. Tonight, a small herd from Alberta is making the trip to Lac La Croix where they will be reunited with Nookomis and those who once loved and honored them. A new story will be shared in years to come. Emotional and uplifting.                                                                                       

Introducing Sandwina: The Strongest Woman in the World! Written by Vicki Conrad and illustrated by Jeremy Holmes. Calkins Creek, Astra. Penguin Random House. 2024. $24.99 ages 8 and up

 

"When a skinny acrobat named Max stepped 
into the ring, Katie knocked him flat on his back
before he knew what hit him. He looked up, saw
Katie, and all he could say was, "Marry me."
Katie carried him out of the ring and married 
him two years later. Max and Katie, a perfect 
pair, with a brand-new act."

Middle graders will be very interested to meet Katie Brumbach, who came to be known as Sandwina in her professional life. Her story reads like a circus show; the digital mixed-media artwork lives up to the sense of wonder that is often associated with high performance. 

Katie was born in Germany to a family of performers, showing great strength and a penchant for performing at a very young age. She was tireless in her pursuit of fame and a place in the Ringling Big Top Circus. In the meantime, she fascinated audiences with her impressive ability and remarkable feats. She was also appreciated for her femininity at a time when women were not expected to look as she did. 

Her marriage to Max Heyman led to endless touring; eventually they named themselves the Sandwinas. They performed throughout the United States and were finnally seen by John Ringling in Paris. Impressed by her beauty and her strength, he made her p the main attraction of his circus show. As a devoted mother to two sons, Theodore and Alfred, she continued to work at a variety of venues until settling down to open a family restaurant in Queens, New York. 

Backmatter includes archival photos, an author's note, a look at her family life, short notes about other strong women who were circus performers when Katie was, a timeline of her life's events, a selected bibliography, and an illustrator's note. Jeremy Holmes' images are a perfect match to the text, placing Katie in the spotlight at every turn. The chosen colors, the circus-like fonts, the banners and posters are all reflective of the life and times of this amazing woman. 

The One About the Blackbird, written by Melanie Florence and illustrated by Matt James. tundra, Penguin Random House. 2025. $24.99 ages 4 and up

 

"The first thing Jack heard when he woke
up the next morning was his grandfather
strumming his guitar and playing Jack's 
favorite song - the one about the blackbird.
"Can you teach me that?" Jack asked, 
rubbing his eyes and settling down beside 
his grandfather, watching as his fingers 
danced across the guitar strings."

Jack's life has been filled with music. His grandfather, a music aficionado and guitarist, has made sure of that. His grandfather never missed a chance to play yet another record that filled the rooms with glorious sound. His extensive record collection and his ability to play various instruments was wondrous. Jack especially liked it when he played his guitar ... his favorite song on the guitar was 'the one about the blackbird'. Jack wanted to be just like his grandfather, and told him so. 

Worried that his grandfather would think he was too young to learn, Jack was surprised at his awareness of Jack's love for and need to play music. Jack wanted to be taught to play the blackbird song. Before that could happen, his grandfather explained that they would make a slow start. It did not go well; the guitar was much bigger than expected and made noises Jack had never heard. It did not get easier despite his grandfather's encouragement. Jack wanted to give up. 

""If it was easy, everyone would do it,"
his grandfather said kindly. "Keep trying.""

With hard work and patience, Jack got better. They worked day after day. As time passed, Jack got bigger and the guitar got smaller. The time came for Jack to move away from his grandfather and make his way in the world, playing his music for large crowds. When he was homesick, he listened to his grandfather's records. 

During one visit, his grandfather admired Jack's guitar. Jack reminded that it once belonged to him. The tables turned and Jack thought he would now teach his grandfather to play again. Finding it difficult to remember, his grandfather handed the guitar back and asked Jack to play 'the one about the blackbird' for him. 

Matt James' mixed-media artwork is as outstanding as ever. His characters, the setting, and the nostalgic feeling he gives to the flow of Ms. Florence's warm words makes for a real connection between generations and over time. 

How To Hatch: A Gosling's Guide to Breaking Free, written by Sara Holly Ackerman and illustrated by Galia Bernstein. Alfred A.Knopf, Penguin Random House. 2026. $26.99 ages 3 and up

 

"Step Two: PIP!

You're going to bust right through the shell. 
But lets's get a few things straight. 

You can't shatter a shell with 
webbed feet. And your knobby knees
are not nearly sharp enough. 

Your rump? Ridiculous!
That won't get you anywhere. 

Your mighty pipping muscle and your 
trusty egg tooth will get you out."

The text box that holds space on the recto side of this spread provides the following factual information for readers:

Inside the Shell 

The air in the air cell won't last forever. 
The gosling embryo needs air from 
outside the shell to live. The pipping 
muscle and the egg tooth go back to work. 
The beak strikes the shell until it makes a 
light crack or a small hole. 

Using a second-person voice to encourage the embryo of a brand-new gosling to make its way into the world is a brilliant choice for helping young readers understand just exactly how this incredible process works. Then, choosing to include sidebars on every spread as explanation for what is clearly happening at each stage makes it even more brilliant ... and compelling, accessible, and highly entertaining, while also very informative. 

Younger readers will appreciate the language that includes well-chosen descriptive words and verbs to encourage the gosling to do its hard work. The informative explanations for the true science of this life cycle will be appreciated by older listeners who want the facts. Both are sure to be satisfied with the direction the narrative takes from Step One (BREATHE!) through to Step Six (FLOP!). 

"Don't fret about the soggy down, but beware
of chills. Find a toasty spot, and before you 
know it, you'll be as dry as a dandelion puff."

Kids will be captivated from the front endpapers to the back ones. Galia Bernstein's digital images put the geese at the center of attention throughout the telling, offering plenty of white space on every page. If you are at all claustrophobic, you will be cheering from the initial sight of the gosling as it is all tucked up inside its shell. Watching it move, grow, and instinctively know exactly what it needs to do to exit its shell is fascinating. Watching it 'healthy, happy, hatched' offers real satisfaction. Now part of the gaggle, it closely follows its mother and siblings to the lake for a first swim.

A glossary of words for birds follows, as does an author's note for the grown-ups who will share this book, and a list of selected resources. Beautiful! It's sure to be a favorite.                                                                                  

My Subway Runs, written by James Gladstone and illustrated by Pierre Pratt. Groundwood Books, 2026. $21.99 ages 4 and up

 

"I see no tree roots growing down here, or worms
wriggling in wet dirt. 

But there's a grey puddle from the water drips above. 

My subway runs fast, pushing wind through the 
station, blowing wild all the passengers' hair."

Having never travelled by subway, I cannot imagine the sights, sounds, and wind that might take my breath away. Thanks to James Gladstone and Pierre Pratt, I have a more distinct idea for the excitement and mayhem felt through the eyes of a young child as he and his mother move into the underground where they become part of it all. 

There is a large crowd of people using the subway as a means of transportation on this day. The boy begins to make his many discoveries as they reach the platform where they will wait for their train to arrive. There is a lot going on around them. Once seated, they watch others rush and push to hop on. The doors slide shut and they are on their way. 

It's dark in the tunnel. There are many new sounds and loud screeches which are unpleasant music to the child's ears. The people come from all walks of life, and spend their time on the train doing a variety of things, including reading, chatting, and even sleeping. It is very exciting, especially when they come out of the tunnel and onto a bridge that seems to take them into the sky. They soon arrive at Union Station where his mom spends time searching for a job at one of the restaurants; then it's time to make the return trip! Once home, the child acknowledges that the subway continues to run day and night. The sights, the sounds, and the awareness of the constant movement makes for an exciting adventure - one that is sure to be taken again.  

Pierre Pratt's artwork allows readers a clear look at the people encountered in this trip across the city. Detailed depictions of a diverse population, the energy of their journey, and the quick motion of the trip itself offer a clear look at subway travel for those of us who have not had the opportunity to experience it for ourselves.