I catalog hundreds of new picture books each year, and I read as many of them as I can. Unfortunately, I can’t review them all. But I can share them! Below are a few recent titles. (Summaries have been taken directly from the books whenever possible.) Check your local library or bookstore for availability.
I’m pleased to resume Picture Books At The Library with this 209th list featuring an eclectic mix of books that have been published during the first half of 2020. How many have you read?
DIABETES DOESN’T STOP MADDIE!: When Maddie returns to school after discovering she has diabetes, she’s not ready to tell her classmates because she doesn’t want to be different.
I’M STICKING WITH YOU: Bear and Squirrel are best friends, and wherever Squirrel goes, Bear follows, until Squirrel decides he’s had enough and wants his space.
BUNNY BUSINESS: The bunnysitter is sick and Mama must bring Bunny to work with her, which is exciting for Bunny, but when boredom and hunger strike, Bunny must find a way to take charge.
ALREADY A BUTTERFLY: A too-busy butterfly, who spends her day hurrying and worrying, finds her own quiet place after learning about meditation and mindfulness from a flower bud.
HOW TO SOLVE A PROBLEM: Ashima solves her problems, which are boulders with twists and turns, by seeing the possibilities and climbing to the top, but not without learning from scrapes and falls first.
HOME BASE: A young girl and her mother support one another as one tries out for the baseball team and the other interviews for a bricklaying job, then celebrate their success together.
USHA AND THE STOLEN SUN: Usha is determined to bring the sun back to her village by knocking down the wall that blocks it.
KNOT CANNOT: Knot longs to be like Snake because Snake can do so many amazing things, but when a bird threatens to eat Snake, it’s Knot to the rescue.
WHAT I LIKE MOST: A little girl observes, one by one, the things that bring her joy, but even after those things are gone, one favorite always remains, her mother.
A LITTLE BIT BRAVE: Logan is a stay-at-home bunny who musters up the courage to set off on an adventure to find his friend Luna and, ultimately, saves her from a hungry wolf.
THE BEAR’S GARDEN: An imaginative little girl sees an empty lot in the city and envisions a beautiful garden that brings her community together.
MY MASTODON: Inspired by the 19th-century lives of artist and scientist Charles Willson Peale’s family, this is a tale of a girl and her favorite companion, a fossilized mastodon, which will soon travel from Philadelphia to London.
Lauri Fortino's Frog On A (B)Log 