The Moving Book, written and illustrated by Lisa Brown. Neal Porter Books, Holiday House. Penguin Random House. 2025. $25.99 ages 3 aand up$

 

"Grandpa lived far away, but Nana and Poppa 
were near. 

When Grandpa visited, we all went to a restaurant
where the food came on little carts. 

We could take the bus with Mom and Dad downtown
to visit the museum - the one with the dinosaur. You 
were so afraid. 

We didn't live there very long."

In my long life, I have lived in 7 different places all in the same city; three before 5, three in the early years of our marriage, and the last 53 years in the house I still call home. I hope to be here for the rest of my life. I have fond memories of each one of those moves and the changes they brought to my life.

This story's family has many moves under their belts. The older brother is narrator and is explaining to his little sister that, even if she doesn't remember all of those moves, he does. As he shares his memories of their homes, he also describes the surroundings. A move into a big apartment building with three elevators was perfect for trick-o-treating, a dim sum restaurant was close by, and public transportation took them downtown to the museum where there were dinosaurs. Moving into one of the homes offered new experiences. They each had their own bedroom, and there was a yard to play in with neighborhood children. 

The upcoming move means they will be living with Grandpa. 

"Mom says that we will probably 
stay in this home for a long time, 
but you never know. 

                       It's okay ... 

                            we are good at moving."

In a story filled with charm and humor, Ms. Brown shows in her mixed-media and expressive artwork a different reality at times than the memory being shared. At every turn, readers are treated to scenarios that invite careful looks. It's refreshing to see the variety of homes they inhabit as the years pass, while ending on a hopeful note that this might be their last move. If not, they have experiences that prove being together, no matter where, is home. 

As she did in The Airport Book (Roaring Brook, 2016) and The Hospital Book (Holiday House, 2023), the author uses the same family to tell her story. Imagine having all three together as a reading experience for your family! What a fun trip to the library that would be. What might you discover? 

A Cure for the Hiccups, written by Jennifer E. Smith and illustrated by Brandon James Scott. Random House Studio, Penguin Random House, 2025. $24.99 ages 4 and up

 

"But she is not very good at being patient.
Her grandmother is always telling her to
slow down. To stop. To sit and listen to the
rustle and hum of the trees. To close her 
eyes and feel the warmth of the sun on her 
face. 

To pause. 

To wait. 

To be."

How many people think they have a cure for the hiccups? Max could certainly use a sure-fire trick as she has been hiccupping for far too long. She has given many traditional suggestions a try; nothing is working. Her grandmother offers her best advice. She suggests time and patience. While Max is very good at many different pursuits, patience is not her strong suit. 

Max has much too much to get done. Still, the hiccups she is experiencing are always on her mind. She thinks constantly of all the scenarios that might follow her over a lifetime of hiccupping. All of her worries result in constant imagined scenes that will be the consequences of her predicament. 

"One day, when she becomes president, her hiccups 
will be heard around the world. People will hand her 
glasses of water everywhere she goes. None of it will 
help."

When she finally sits quietly to think on all that she is worrying about, things change. She hears the soft wind, feels the warmth of the sun, takes a deep breath ... takes a pause and waits. When her grandmother asks how she is doing, Max complains that she will never be the same. A second simple question has Max taking a careful assessment of her condition. What? The hiccups are GONE, and will stay that way until the next time. With her new knowledge, she is able to advise her little brother on handling his own hiccups. 

Kids listening to Max's story will giggle as Max goes down the rabbit hole that leads to every imagined scene in her future with the hiccups she cannot control. The digital artwork is full of fun and imagination and is sure to entertain readers. The advice given to slow down and breathe works wonders for each one of us.                                                                                    

While We Wait, written and illustrated by Bee Johnson. Henry Holt and Company, Macmillan. Raincoast. 2025. $24.99 ages 4 and up

"Summer market. 
Row of stalls. 
Pickles. Peaches. 
Overalls. 

Bucket drummer
          makes a beat. 
While we wait,
          we move our feet."

Remember those days when you had errands to run and you needed to take your young children with you? I don't think mine appreciated it anymore than I did. But, that's parenting. Dad has left a 'to do' list for Mom and the kids while he is away. The kids know there will be a lot of waiting. 

Before they leave the house, they need to be sure to take with them all they will need. While they are doing that, Mom is busy looking for a bag that appears to be lost. The waiting results in a raucous game of tag, and they are off. Their first stop is the market; their mother shops while the girls are entertained by a drummer and a dog. It's a perfect time to practice their dance moves. 

The post office is next. The line is long and slow. A woman in front of them is busy trying to control an unruly toddler, offering the girls a chance to distract with a flower and funny faces. Once they are on their way again, their mother stops to visit with a friend while the girls keep her dog company. A nearby shop attracts attention with its many miscellaneous marvels; it's the perfect place to find the dress that is on their list. 

Finally, it's time to stop for lunch ... another long wait. They are hangry and fall apart. Leaving the diner as the skies open forces them to snuggle up under an awning where they wait until they can cross the street, splashing and stomping as they go. Energy expended, it's time to take a break and read a book at home while Mom prepares soup for supper. After eating, with the 'to do' list done, the girls settle in for the night; Mom falls asleep before finishing her tea. 

The detailed, colorful illustrations offer plenty to see as the story is read. They enhance the rhythmic storytelling with images that offer hints about the children, their family life and the place they call home. Even while completing their errands, and spending a lot of their time waiting, kids can find happy moments that distract from the drudgery. This is a great reminder of that.                                                                            

                                    

https://youtu.be/W1YlZWE3hFc?si=asCiJr7Vd0wOpno5

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.