Review by Kelly Carey
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If you have ever been a substitute teacher and had to contend with a constant barrage of “that’s not the way we do it”, this lovable and laughable picture book is for you! The Creature of Habit (Random House Studio, 2021), by Jennifer E. Smith and illustrated by Leo Espinosa, tells the story of an island dwelling creature who loves his routine. He does everything the exact same way every day. When a surprise newcomer arrives the Creature of Habit shows him the daily schedule, but the newcomer breaks with the plan. The result is fun, silly, and charming for the reader but “absolute madness” for the Creature of Habit. With colorful and fanciful illustrations filled with pineapples and seashells this story is a tropical reminder that mixing things up every once in a while, can be amazing. ​

On Writing: 
If you are looking for a humorous comp title featuring a bit of wordplay, The Creature of Habit would be a fabulous choice. But don’t miss the opportunity to study Smith’s use of varied sentence structure. This is a great mentor text to examine the way long vs short, and serious vs silly sentences can move plot, create tension, drive pacing, and enhance readability.  Smith also stays fully focused on her kid audience as she moves her characters through hysterical antics and keeps the mood light using pineapples, bananas, and fish.  The result is a kid friendly story filled with giggly moments hiding a deeper message about breaking out of a routine and trying something new. Perhaps reading The Creature of Habit will help you find something new in your manuscripts. 

Learn more about Jennifer E. Smith here. And explore Leo Espinosa's portfolio here. 
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Review by Kristi Mahoney

You may think balloons and cake are just for birthdays, but Sometimes Cake (Candlewick, January 2022), written by Edwina Wyatt and illustrated by Tamsin Ainslie, proves that when it comes to celebrations, thinking out-of-the-box is encouraged.
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When Audrey meets Lion, he is celebrating something different every day. Whether it’s Tuesdays, coconuts, or the color orange, Lion believes every day holds a reason to celebrate. And Audrey is in for all of it. Better yet, she even adds her own personal flair. But when Lion announces it’s just “an ordinary day”, Audrey must discover if ordinary days are worth celebrating and, if so, --how? Packed with heart and a pinch of humor, I found myself eating up this sweet story about friendship, collaboration, and finding joy in everyday things. 

On Writing:
As writers, we love words. I personally have struggled with paring down my stories until landing at a place where every word counts. Cutting words is easy. But cutting words while still maintaining the heart, humor, a strong plot, and a successful arc is something else. Edwina Wyatt has managed to find the winning recipe in Sometimes Cake, by combining two lovable characters, kid-friendly dialogue, and perfectly pared-down prose. You might call Ainslie’s art the icing on this Sometimes Cake with illustrations that are soft, timeless, and filled with adorable details that will have you wanting to read this story on each and every ordinary day.  

To learn more about Edwina Wyatt visit her website here. To learn more about illustrator Tamsin Ainslie visit his website here. 

Review by Kristi Mahoney

Amidst heaps of picture book friendship stories, I’m Sticking With You, (Henry Holt and Company, 2020), written by Smriti Prasadam-Halls and illustrated by Steve Small, may be one you’ll want to hoard away with you for winter.
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In it, Bear vows to be there for and do everything with his best friend, Squirrel. But when Bear’s enthusiastic devotion wreaks havoc on his buddy’s things and space, Squirrel decides their friendship may becoming a little… over-bearing. The two continue to seesaw between the ups and downs of friendship in a quest to determine if, through thick and thin, real friends will stick together. Packed with heart and sprinkled with humor, this celebration of friendship will be adored by readers of all ages.  

On Writing:
If you’re looking for a mentor text on first person rhyme and/or dual narrator transitions, I’m Sticking With You, is worth checking out. Prasadam-Halls’ first person rhyme flows seamlessly as the reader is introduced to the character’s thoughts and feelings: first Bear’s, then Squirrel’s, then both together. The author brilliantly transitions these segments with well-timed pauses to the story’s rhythmic meter and perfect comedic timing during the height of emotion. She also does an excellent job of leaving room for the illustrator to provide important clues and Small’s illustrations accompany the story in the best way possible. Simplistic backgrounds allow ample opportunity for clever details, body language, and these endearing characters’ unmistakable expressions to take center stage. Like Bear and Squirrel’s friendship, I’m Sticking With You, is definitely a keeper.

To learn more about Smriti visit her website here or find her on Twitter @SmritiPH. To learn more about illustrator Steve Small visit his website here. 
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Review by Kristi Mahoney

If you’re looking for a fresh new seasonal book that is both informative and funny, look no further than The Leaf Thief, written by Alice Hemming and illustrated by Nicola Slater (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, August 2021). When Squirrel discovers his beloved leaves are disappearing from his tree, he goes on a panic-stricken quest to find the thief. Worse yet, all of his forest friends suddenly seem suspect. It’s not until teaming up with his friend Bird that he discovers the real culprit might be right under his nose. The Leaf Thief, is a hilarious book about the fall season, adapting to change, and the anxiety that may come with it. Nicola Slater’s illustrations bring these captivating characters to life with vibrant, detailed, art that is pure gold amongst an autumn landscape.  

On Writing:
With dozens of books under her belt, Alice Hemming isn’t a novice when it comes to writing and it shows. With distinct voice, punchy comedic timing, and perfect page turns, The Leaf Thief is an ideal mentor text if you need help infusing your manuscript with humor and making sure it offers irresistible page turns. This book may become a seasonal treasure for readers, and a go-to mentor text for writers.  Hemming’s humorous twist ending and information packed back matter makes it a fantastic laugh-while-you-learn book. 

To learn more about Alice visit her on Twitter at @AliceHemming1. And to find out more about illustrator Nicola Slater visit @Nicolaslater. 

~Review by Amanda Smith

Deep in the Swamp, written by Donna M. Bateman and illustrated by Caldecott-Honors winner Brian Lies (Charlesbridge, 2007), is a charming book young readers will love to hear over and over again. This rewrite of the children’s counting rhyme “Over the Meadow” introduces different animals of the Okefenokee Swamp. The familiar sing-song rhythm and rhyme are perfect vehicles for presenting lesser-known animals and plants, and names of animal babies to children. These elements combine to make this book much more than a counting rhyme.  Deep in the Swamp contains illustrated, alphabetized backmatter providing interesting, bite-sized facts for those curious about the fauna, flora, and geography in the rhymes.

Brian Lies’ ability to combine friendly, relatable animal faces and realistic nature illustrations brings warmth and character to this concept book. The illustrations teem with environmental details that will keep young eyes engaged for multiple readings.
 
On Writing:
Deep in the Swamp is an excellent mentor text for interesting word choice. Bateman uses words and word-combinations that are delicious to read out loud. It is clear that she paid close attention to where she placed concentrations of sounds, internal rhyme, and long and short sounds. For example, in her rhyme about nine rat snakes, the snakes “climbed up a pine where the bamboo vines twine.”  She also uses vivid, active verbs throughout. The sounds of the words play as important a role as content and illustrations in making this book a sensory experience. 

To learn more about Brian Lies, visit www.brianlies.com

Guest review by Kristi Mahoney

​In Bear’s Bicycle, written by Laura Renauld and illustrated by Jennie Poh (Beaming Books, 2021) we are reunited with the lovable cast of characters first introduced by this author/illustrator combo in Porcupine’s Pie (Beaming Books, 2018). In this follow-up book, Bear wants to learn to ride his bike for the upcoming Summer Scoot. After multiple trips to the library to find a how-to guide, Bear discovers that doing everything by the book doesn’t always work out. Bear’s Bicycle is an endearing story about practice, perseverance, and the importance of friendship. Add in Jennie Poh’s whimsical illustrations and you have a book that will leave you feeling as warm and fuzzy as bear himself.   

On Writing:
Laura Renauld’s writing style is delightfully consistent with her original story in this series. It’s filled with things that I personally love in a book and appreciate as a writer: orderly lists, fun-to-say onomatopoeia, distinct voice, and bonus back matter that will delight anyone teetering on whether or not to take on a two-wheeler.
 
And if you happen to fall in love with this woodland cast as fast as I did, you won’t have to wait long to see more of them. Cruise on over and pencil in the release date of the third book in this series, Squirrel’s Sweater (Beaming Books, anticipated September 21st, 2021).

​To learn more about Laura visit here. 

 ~Review by Amanda Smith

Go with the Flow (First Second, 2020) is written and illustrated by Lily Williams and Karen Schneemann, co-creators of the online comic series The Mean Magenta and is the book I wish I had when I was a teen.

Brit, Sasha, Christine and Abby are four sophomore friends, who share laughs, rides, cookies and quiet conversations about their struggles with their periods. These four girls could not be more different in ethnicity, body types, personalities, and menstrual experiences, which makes this book super relatable to its YA audience. (No one-note, perfect, fictional girls here!) Upbeat Abby, fierce defender of women’s rights, decides to address the lack of feminine products in their school’s bathrooms after Sasha has a period emergency. Her passion and determination to be heard leads to hurt feelings, teetering friendships, and important lessons about listening. Brit deals with excruciating cramps that forces her to miss several days of school per month. She has to face well-meaning but clueless male teachers, and experiences anxiety about what might be wrong with her. Go with the Flow also addresses other teenage topics such as boys (the nice ones and the “fart bags”), sexual identity, generational and cultural gaps, activism, and kindness, without ever being preachy.

This YA graphic novel, filled with interesting facts throughout and containing oodles of relevant backmatter, is geared towards a more mature audience. However, it is a must-read, helping teens feel more comfortable about their changing bodies, and opening their eyes to what peers might be experiencing. Readers will recognize themselves within these pages, and all the characters will inspire them to be their best selves.

On Writing:
Bravo for bravery! Lily and Karen unabashedly tackle a subject that has been dubbed as “inappropriate” and “gross” for generations. In Abby’s words “you know, the patriarchy, and all that (barf)”. They deliver a plot focused on the menstrual cycle with lots of heart and tons of humor. They give the reader relatable characters, who feel as real as flesh-and-blood friends. They sprinkle thought-provoking ideas and acts of kindness throughout, educating and arming their readers with knowledge, courage, and hope.  If you are feeling hesitant about your own work in progress with “taboo” themes, study Go With the Flow for a dose of daring.
 
Browse the original Mean Magenta comics here: themeanmagenta.com/
Learn more about Karen at www.karenschneemann.com/
 To learn more about Lily, visit lilywilliamsart.com/ 

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~ Guest Review by Megan Litwin

​In What If, Pig? by Linzie Hunter (HarperCollins, 2021), we meet Pig and Mouse, and a supporting cast of colorful, cheerful animal characters. Pig is so kind and fun and generous that one day he decides to throw a party for all his friends. But Pig is also a worrier. A tremendous worrier. He worries that the party is a terrible mistake. A series of “what if” worries follow and spiral out of control. (Sound familiar, anyone?) Fortunately, Pig has good friends…friends who, as it turns out, sometimes worry too. The vibrant, colorful art and dynamic font that mimics Pig’s growing anxiety are perfect complements to the snappy text. What If, Pig? is a thoughtful book about friendship and kindness, worry and wonder. And a timely one too. As the world keeps changing and as perennial back-to-school worries crop up, this book offers a gentle springboard for discussion.

On Writing:
Purposeful repetition can be a powerful tool in picture books, and Linzie Hunter does a fabulous job playing with repetition in her text. The use of “what if” as a sentence starter throughout the book, and also in the title, gives this a rhythmic hum, a predictable beat. But not too predictable. Hunter continually surprises the reader by changing the nature of the “what if” and the meaning behind it. “What if” thinking can be worrisome and negative, but it can also be wonderous, hopeful, and full of positive possibility.
 
What if you read a book that warmed your own sometimes-worrisome heart so much that you told everyone about it?
 
What if?

You can learn more about Linzie Hunter here.  
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~ Review by Kelly Carey

I am not always a big poetry fan and almost never a poetry collection champion, but Night Wishes (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2020) has won me over. Poetry collections usually offer up a shared theme, but can lack a continuous story and solid character. Not true with Night Wishes! This collection of poems, selected by Lee Bennet Hopkins, is masterfully arranged to capture the wistful and chaotic moments of bedtime with a prominent beginning, middle and end. From the opening poems, "Bed", "Pillow" and "Blanket" that give the reader the anchor of place, to the poems that recall the day now gone and the hopes for the sweet dreams found in slumber, to the final poem, "Bed Again" that encourages our sleepy child to explore a new day, Night Wishes is a gem. Hopkins has set the poems in an order that reads from poem to poem into a joyful page turning story.  Caregivers looking for a peaceful bedtime read or teachers reaching for a book as part of a poetry unit will not be disappointed. 

On Writing

When honing your writing skills, it is always helpful to study the mastery of fellow authors. In Night Wishes, you get the benefit of poems by thirteen fellow authors.  Use Night Wishes to consider the power of sparse text, word choice, and cadence. All three attributes are essential building blocks for both poetry and prose and all three are on full display in Night Wishes.

In addition, this collection of poems provides ample examples of smart metaphors and lyrical similes. Both writing devices can be tricky to manage without sinking into common boring tropes or forced sugary language, the authors in Night Wishes each hit the mark with their own unique writing voice.   

To learn more about Lee Bennett Hopkins visit leebennetthopkins.com.