Awan, Jashar. Every Monday Mabel. Jashar Awan, Illus. Simon & Schuster, 02/2025. [44]pp. Picture Book. Trade $19.99. 978-1-6659-3815-0. GRADES Preschool–2. OUTSTANDING.
Every Monday morning Mabel sits outside to wait for the garbage truck—her favorite thing is to watch its mechanical arm grab the trash can and empty it into the truck. The reader won’t know what she has been waiting for until halfway through the story, which adds an element of surprise. The digitally created illustrations resemble deeply saturated watercolors, depicting the family with light brown skin and a variety of hair colors. The artwork is dynamic, showing action, energy, and movement which adds to the presentation. A great choice for library storytimes.
Penny Peck—San José State University, iSchool