Jenny Andrus

Slade, Suzanne. Behold the Octopus! Thomas Gonzalez, Illus. Peachtree, 04/2023. 32pp. Nonfiction. Trade $18.99. 978-1-68263-312-0. GRADES Preschool–4. OUTSTANDING.   Bold, rhyming adjectives, matched with fascinating detailed text, follow flowing images to capture the essence of the octopus. Full-bleed, close-up illustrations in vivid pastel, colored pencil, and airbrush [continue reading]

Salmon, Caspar. How to Count to One: (And Don’t Even THINK About Bigger Numbers!). Matt Hunt, Illus. Nosy Crow, 06/2023. 32pp. Picture Book. Trade $17.99. 979-8887770246. GRADES Preschool–1. OUTSTANDING.        No matter how exciting the items are to count, readers are unreasonably told to only count to [continue reading]

Cline-Ransome, Lesa. Loud and Proud: The Life of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. Kaylani Juanita, Illus. Simon & Schuster, 09/2023. [48]pp. Biography. Trade $18.99. 978-1-5344-6352-3. GRADES 1–4. OUTSTANDING.          Shirley Chisholm “talked big, walked tall, and told just about everyone what to do.” So begins this engaging biography of [continue reading]

Applegate, Katherine. Doggo and Pupper Search for Cozy. Charlie Adler, Illus. Doggo and Pupper. Feiwel & Friends, 03/2023. 96pp. Reader. Trade $9.99. 978-1-250-62102-3. GRADES Kindergarten–2. HIGH ADDITIONAL. In the third and final installment of the Doggo and Pupper series, the canine duo try to help their friend Cat [continue reading]

Viva, Frank. Gotta Go! Frank Viva, Illus. Toon, 9/2023. 32pp. Picture Book. Trade $18.99. 978-1-6626-6507-3. GRADES Preschool–1. HIGH ADDITIONAL.          How do you hold it when you gotta go? Owen, a bald boy with light brown skin, hilariously learns (and shows off) various gotta go dances [continue reading]

Sudyka, Diana. Little Land. Diana Sudyka, Illus. Little, Brown, 04/2023. [48]pp. Picture Book. Trade $18.99. 978-0-3163-0176-3. GRADES Preschool–1. HIGH ADDITIONAL.            A young child explores the ecological transformations of a tiny piece of land from millions of years ago, a world where dinosaurs and prehistoric animals [continue reading]

Markle, Sandra. Wild Inventions: Ideas Inspired by Animals. Lerner/Millbrook, 10/2023. 48pp. Nonfiction. PLB $33.32. 978-1-7284-6795-5. GRADES 4–8. HIGH ADDITIONAL.         Animals have been found to do some pretty interesting, or perhaps just odd, things. Markle’s hook is that she ties these animal oddities to human inventions [continue reading]

Khalil, Aya. Great Banned-Books Bake Sale, The. Anait Semirdzhyan, Illus. Tilbury House, 08/2023. [32]pp. Picture Book. Trade $18.95. 978-0-88448-967-2. GRADES Kindergarten–3. ADDITIONAL. A powerful story based on current national headlines, this story continues The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story (2020), with Kanzi’s elementary school class eagerly visiting [continue reading]