November 21 – Get Ready for Christmas

About the Holiday

Christmastime is perfect when it’s shared with best friends! There are so many festivities to do together. From singing to baking to crafting and more, Christmas is a time for togetherness, whether you and your friends have different favorite ways to celebrate or agree on everything—like the kitty-corns in today’s book!

Holly Jolly Kitty-Corn

Written by Shannon Hale | Illustrated by LeUyen Pham

“Kitty adores Christmastime,” and it turns out that Unicorn does too! They’re excited to celebrate their first Christmas together, especially since they always agree. Unicorn offers that their “favorite part of Christmas is the music.” While Kitty politely agrees, she likes more snazz than snooze in her music, and soon she’s snoring so loudly that Unicorn can’t hear his favorite part.

When Kitty reminds Unicorn that their real favorite part is making gingerbread houses, Unicorn is game to try. After several hours, Kitty has created a beautifully decorated village. She’s jazzed to put her village together with Unicorn’s, but he’s only made one “ramshackle shack.” When he tries to place his house next to one of Kitty’s, it sends them all tumbling like dominoes. Kitty and Unicorn squabble over the mishap, while Gecko and Parakeet pipe up with a song about it.

Kitty’s not going to let those two have the last note, so when Unicorn suggests that the tree is their favorite part of Christmas, she agrees. At the lot, Unicorn asks if Kitty likes a particularly small one. Kitty loves it, but asks if it’s big enough for Unicorn. Misunderstanding, Unicorn shows her bigger trees, where Kitty chooses the biggest tree in the place, hoping to make her bestie happy.

Back home, their box of ornaments is no match for the enormous tree, so they make more. Still, the tree looks empty. Kitty calls for more stuff. Finally, as Kitty places the tiny star on top, the tree tips . . . timbers . . . crashes to the ground. Unicorn sympathizes with Kitty over the fate of her “perfect tree.” Confused, Kitty counters: “‘That wasn’t my perfect tree. It was yours.'” Unicorn is flummoxed. They banter until they realize that they both prefer “itty-bitty trees.” They stare at each other until both explode in laughter, proving that despite the mayhem, Christmas really is “the merriest day of the year.” The kitty-corns end the day with tasty gingerbread and cocoa. Turns out, Unicorn’s music is perfect for falling asleep on a starry night.

A giggle-inducing Kitty-Corn Carol, worthy of Gecko and Parakeet and set to the music of Deck the Halls, follows the story.

Funny and as sweet as Christmas treats, Shannon Hale’s and LeUyen Pham’s newest addition to their Kitty-Corn series will enchant readers, whether they’re fans of the books or just discovering them. Kitty and Unicorn’s tender and feisty friendship is challenged as the two try to blend their favorite holiday traditions or guess what the other likes best, but it emerges as tight-knit as ever. Hale’s dialogue-rich storytelling, sprinkled with rhymes, creates a delightful read aloud. Kids will laugh over the list of “ornaments” the pair use to decorate their enormous tree and sing along with Gecko and Parakeet’s musical interludes.

LeUyen Pham’s spirited illustrations offer stockings-full of laughs, charm, and cuteness as the characters’ facial expressions clearly demonstrate their emotions. Kids will want to linger over Kitty’s gingerbread houses to pick up ideas for their own as well as the Kitty-Corns’ fully stocked tree to point out each silly decoration.

Ages 4 – 8

Harry N. Abrams, 2025 | ISBN 978-1419768798

LeUyen Pham and Shannon Hale are the team behind the bestselling picture books Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn, Pretty Perfect Kitty-Corn, Party Hearty Kitty-Corn, and Bubbly Beautiful Kitty-Corn, as well as the Kitty-Corn Club board books; the bestselling graphic novels Real Friends, Best Friends, and Friends Forever; and, with Dean Hale, the early chapter book series The Princess in Black. They have made a bunch of other books too. They are both moms of cat-loving kids, wives to book-creating husbands, honor award winners (Caldecott and Newbery), and believers in unicorns. Pham lives in Los Angeles, Hale lives in Utah, and together they know they can be—and make—anything. Visit Shannon Hale at shannonhale.com. You can find LeUyen Pham on Instagram.

Get Ready for Christmas Activity

Colorful Ornaments

These plastic ornaments swirled with colors make the perfect decorations for your tree, whether it’s itty-bitty or enormous! This is a fun activity to do with friends or to give away too!

Supplies

Plastic ornaments, available at craft stores
Nail polish in various colors
Plastic bowl or container, deep enough to dip the ornament into the water
Drying stand – I used a clear, plastic egg carton. You can also hang ornaments to dry

Directions

Fill the plastic container with warm to hot water

Using two or three colors, gently “paint” the water inn dots and swirls with the nail polish, using the nail brush or a toothpick.
Slowly dip the plastic ornament into the water and turn it to pick up the nail polish floating on the top of the water.
To dry, place the ornament on a stand or hang over a paper plate, wax paper, or other paper to catch drips.

You can purchase Holly Jolly Kitty Corn from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

November 14 – Human-Animal Relationship Week

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Animals and humans coexist on Earth in so many amazing ways. Our pets are beloved family members, we interact and care for the birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and other backyard animals that we see every day, and we are mindful of and should be caretakers of the wild animals that inhabit the plains, mountains, and seas of our planet. Human-Animal Relationship Awareness Week was established by the Animals & Society Institute, which “helps improve and expand knowledge about human-animal relationships in order to create safer and more compassionate communities for all.” Over this week people are encouraged to think about companion animals, assistance animals, animals in shelters, and the safety and well-being of the animals in our care. To celebrate, spend more time with your pet and consider donating to your local animal shelter or wildlife organization. To read more about their work and their future, visit the Animals & Society Institute’s website.

Thank you to Rise x Penguin Workshop/Penguin Random House for sharing a copy of this book for review! All opinions are my own.

A Sound in the Night

By María Coco

A dog snoozes in his favorite chair, his tennis ball passing the time nearby. An ear perks up, and then an eye opens to see his human stuffing a backpack. He rushes to the door, his tale thumps while he holds his tennis ball in his teeth. Soon they’re on the road passing cotton candy trees, the wind riffling the dog’s ears. His companion smiles as she drives.

When they reach the campsite, they play fetch, swim, fly a kite, and finally set up their tent. In the light of a small campfire, they enjoy s’mores and watch a shooting star. Then it’s time for a book and bed. Sometime during the night, the two are awakened by a “CRACK.” And another, closer. And another, LOUDER.

The human hides in the sleeping bag. The dog perches on top. The cracking continues while outside a long shadow appears. Soon, curiosity takes over, and the pair peek through the tent flap. Courageously, they walk out into the darkness and take a few steps toward the shadowy shape. In the cone of light from the flashlight they discover . . . a cat.

The cat happily accepts their pats and licks then joins them for breakfast and hiking the next day. The cat and the dog are sad to part as the human breaks down the tent and ties the bundle atop the car. Back on the road again, the little car passes by the cotton candy trees, the wind riffling the dog’s ears. But is that an extra tail we see through the window? Clever clues in the next few pages build excitement for the sweet and happy new family member reveal.

María Coco’s nearly wordless story is as delightful as it is inviting. Coco’s simple line drawings, shapes, and whimsical touches on clean white or midnight-blue pages allow children’s imaginations free roam to lend details from their own experiences to this suspenseful friendship-building campout. Sweet, companionable smiles and even the shared terror between this pair show their devotion to each other as well as their willingness to include a surprise newcomer. Coco’s distinctive limited-color risograph-printed illustrations enchant with neon pink, yellow, and orange highlights and a touch of purple waiting to be discovered.

A charming choice for quiet reading or to invite imaginative participation, A Sound in the Night would make a perfect gift for any book or pet lover and is a must for library collections.

Ages 2 – 6+

Rise x Penguin Workshop, 2025 | ISBN 978-0593890608

María Coco is a children’s book author and illustrator from the north of Mexico. Although she graduated with a degree in graphic design and worked as a web designer for many years in Mexico City, New York, Santiago de Chile, and elsewhere, in 2017 she followed her heart and moved to England to focus on what she loves the most. In 2019 she graduated with distinction from the MA program in children’s book illustration at Cambridge School of Art. María likes using limited colors for her bold characters and compositions and enjoys the handmade textures and unexpected results of traditional techniques such as screen-printing. Her stories are perfectly paced page-turners. Her main sources of inspiration come from nature, music, and cycling around the world. When she’s not in her studio, she may be hiding in the forest in the company of her husband, daughter, and rescue dog. Visit her at maria-coco.com.

Human-Animal Relationship Week Activity

Find a Friend Matching Puzzle

Each of these humans and animals have a friend or friends. Can you pick up on the clues to match the pairs?

Find a Friend Matching Puzzle with Border | Find a Friend Matching Puzzle with No Border

You can purchase A Sound in the Night from these booksellers

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Picture Book Review

November 13 – World Kindness Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

World Kindness Day began with a conference in 1997 in which organizations from across the globe met in Japan for the purpose of uplifting and recognizing kindness on a global scale. From this meeting they created a “Declaration of Kindness” and, later, a nonprofit called the World Kindness Movement was formed to support and honor community-scale kindness initiatives. Kindness on any scale, on any day, is important to celebrate. Today’s story shows the impact that one kind gesture can have.

Thank you to Eerdmans Books for Young Readers for sending me a copy of this book for review! All opinions are my own.

Late Today

Written by Jungyoon Huh | Illustrated by Myungae Lee | Translated by Aerin Park

It’s 8:15 A.M.—rush hour in Seoul—and traffic is backed up bumper-to-bumper. No one wants to be late. Amidst the gridlock “a kitten, barely two weeks old, was crossing the bridge.” She darted back and forth, in front of wheels, over wheels, underneath cars and trucks.

Everyone saw her. Some worried about her, some wondered how she’d gotten there, some just looked away. “It was the kind of thing where no one can point a finger and call ‘coward,’ even when someone ignores what’s happening and just passes by.”

But one woman in one car lost sight of the kitten and pulled over, screeching to a halt. Through the earsplitting honks and the sudden downpour, the woman and her child tried to hear the kitten’s cry. Then—there!—they heard it. The woman hurried from her car, cradled the shaking kitten in her hands, and brought it into the car with her. On the bridge everyone sighed with relief. They would all be late, but that was okay. “Today was a good day to be late.”

In Jungyoon Huh’s simply stated, yet powerfully thought-provoking story—translated from Korean by Aerin Park—she places readers in the middle of a traffic jam and invites each of us to reflect on what we would do in the circumstances. We all want to be the person who would decide to rescue the kitten, but are we? Taking time to stop during our day or putting ourselves in an uncomfortable or dangerous spot to lend a hand to an animal, another person, or a group can seem daunting or even ineffective. But Lee reminds us that even the smallest kindness or action is noticed by those around us, does make an impact on breaking paralyzing gridlock of action or thought, and can uplift us all and clear the way forward.

Myungae Lee’s colored pencil and oil pastel illustrations grip readers from the first page, where not even an inch separates the cars hemmed in on the bridge. You can feel the urgency of the commuters as your eye flits from Lee’s soft neutral hues to the neon yellows of headlights, concrete barriers, and a bus. Turning the page, a smudge of a kitten, alone amidst the gray of exhaust and cloud, rivets your eye. With every page turn, your perspective alters as you dart among the wheels with the kitten and are introduced to various onlookers. When the kitten disappears from sight (although eagle-eyed kids may spy him) and the woman pulls over to listen, Lee imbues two full-page spreads with maximum emotion and suspense until the cat is seen and rescued and the commuters exhale a communal sigh of relief.

Late Today is an absorbing story and conversation starter that’s sure to stir your heart. It will become a much-loved addition to home bookshelves and is a must for library collections.

Ages 4 – 8

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2025 | ISBN 978-0802856494

About the Author

Jungyoon Huh studied child development and education in college and graduate school, and she now works as a picture book author, animation director, and university professor in South Korea. Her books have been selected for the White Ravens catalog and for the BRAW Amazing Bookshelf. Late Today is her English-language debut.

About the Illustrator

Myungae Lee is a South Korean picture book author and illustrator who has twice been selected as illustrator of the year at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. Her work has received honors including the Nami Concours Green Island Award, the BIB Golden Plaque Award, and the BIB Golden Apple Award. In 2020, Lee was shortlisted for the AOI World Illustration Awards. Late Today is her English-language debut. Lee lives near the Seogang Bridge in Seoul, South Korea, and she often meets stray cats while walking to her studio. Follow Lee on Instagram @myungaelee.

About the Translator

Aerin Park is a Korean and English translator whose projects include the Korean-to-English translations of Okchundang Candy and The Legend of Tiger and Tail-Flower (both Levine Querido). She has also translated Korean source materials for Paula Yoo’s Rising from the Ashes (Norton) and served as an interpreter and cultural consultant for theatrical productions. Park lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she enjoys reading Korean history with her children. Visit her website at aerinpark.com.

World Kindness Day Activity

Wandering Kitty Maze

Can you help this kitten find his way back home in this Wandering Kitty Maze?

You can purchase Late Today from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

November 10 – Get Ready for Christmas

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

The Christmas season is a time of joy and sharing with friends and family, and if your family includes a pet or pets, you know that they too, of course, are included in the festivities. Special Christmas treats, gifts of new toys, extra hugs, and even silly hats or fancy outfits are all ways we show how much our pets mean to us. Another fun way to celebrate the holidays with your best furry buddy is to include them in story time! Today’s book is a purr-fect choice for laptime with kitties and kiddies. Pups will enjoy it too!

Thank you to Bloomsbury Children’s Books for sending me a copy of this book for review! All opinions on the book are my own.

Cat’s Christmas

By Alison Murray

Cat likes many things. He likes feeling snug. He likes his favorite chair. He likes feeling snug in his favorite chair with his favorite person. But Cat has a special feeling for Christmas, and it is—to say the least—not positive. Is there anything Cat does like about the holiday? Well, “he hates the fancy decorations,” the sticky, sugary food, and even the presents. And visitors of a dachshund variety really makes his fur stand on end.

Cat tries to tell his people why he’s so displeased, but his method of communication is just not appreciated. And when the Christmas tree comes crashing down, he’s ordered out. Out Cat goes into the snow. Up on a high branch, “Cat yowls and howls and meow-wow-wows into the quiet night.”

The cloudy night seems to hear his cries, and briefly the clouds part. “Cat LOVES to see the moon and stars in the clear night sky, and he marvels at the beauty of the world.” But Cat’s wonder is short-lived as rain begins to fall, dripping “from his whiskers into his eyes” and . . . making his “fur stick to his skin” and . . . the branch “slippery under his paws.” Cat is ready to go home.

He passes by all the leftover Christmas trappings and jumps into his favorite chair with his favorite person, who is so happy to see him. She wraps him in a towel and cuddles him then gives him his very own present—which turns out to be—despite the silly bowtie—just perfect.

Hilarious and heartfelt, Alison Murray’s Cat’s Christmas is a gift to all feline lovers. Through her fast-paced storytelling and expressive illustrations, Murray perfectly captures the inquisitive and opinionated personality of cats as well as their singular style of making themselves seen and heard. Turning the page from all the clatter of Christmas and Cat’s yowling to his glimpse of the beautiful night sky is wondrously stirring as Murray fills the darkness with colorful orbs of shimmering light. As the sudden rainfall sends Cat back inside, readers will be wrapped in the cozy, homey feeling that Christmas brings.

Sure to be opened again and again, Cat’s Christmas is a sweet, funny, and cozy holiday delight for all cat and pet lovers.

Ages Baby – 5

Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2025 | ISBN 978-1547617593

Alison Murray is a Glasgow based author and illustrator. She studied Textile Design at Glasgow School of Art, and Design for Interactive Media at Middlesex University, London. Her first book Apple Pie ABC was shortlisted for the Scottish Children’s Book Award and in the United States won the 2012 Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book award for outstanding writing in a picture book. Her books have been shortlisted and longlisted for the Bookbug Picture Book Prize, the Scottish Children’s Book Awards, and the UK Literary Association Award.

You can purchase Cat’s Christmas from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (discounted books and support for your local independent bookstore)

Picture Book Review

September 19 – Friendship Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Do you have friends you haven’t seen or talked to in a while? Is there someone new at work or school who could use a friend to show them the ropes or eat lunch with? If so, this month’s holiday gives you the opportunity to reach out and say hi. The holiday was instituted by the Oddfellows (shortened from The Grand United Order of Oddfellows Friendly Society (GUOOFS)), an international fraternity that dates back to 1730s England, with the hope of encouraging people to make friends. Friendship Month is a super time to show kindness to those friends you know and those you don’t—yet!

Kat & Mouse: I Like Cheese

By Salina Yoon

Every day Kat and Mouse meet for lunch. Every day Mouse brings “the BEST food there is: “CHEESE!,” while Kat mixes it up with a new kind of “delicious” or “spectacular” or “MEOW-velous” sandwich that she introduces with dramatic flair. Each day, Kat offers to let Mouse try some of her sandwich, but Mouse always declines, assuring her that he likes cheese.

One day, while lounging in the wading pool Kat has brought along to their noon-time meet-up, she asks Mouse, “Don’t you ever get bored with your lunch?” Mouse reminds her that he likes cheese, and then wonders: “But Kat, do you ever get bored with me?” After all, he reflects, “I always eat the same lunch, packed in my same lunchbox, and sit on the same log.”

Thinking about it, Kat decides that they “really are different” and suggests they eat separately the next day. With sadness they go their own ways. The next day finds Mouse on his log with a hunk of blue cheese. Kat has chosen to eat a hotdog under an umbrella attached to a rocking horse.

The day after that, Mouse and Kat meet and ask each other how their lunches were. Kat admits that eating lunch alone was “Awful.” Mouse concurs, revealing that his lunch was “gloomy and blue. Even my blue cheese tasted bluer than usual.” Kat regrets recommending the separation, apologizes, and declares that “some things should not change—like our friendship!”

Mouse is happy to resume their usual lunches, but acknowledges that “it’s ok to try new things, too.” Kat perks up. Did Mouse bring a NEW lunch? Indeed he did! In fact, he brought something they will both like. What does he call it? Join them for lunch and find out!

Salina Yoon’s latest early reader series introduces kids to a new besties duo that will steal young readers’ hearts. Sweet and funny, Yoon’s story plays out in dialogue, the back and forth indicated through pink speech bubbles for Kat and green bubbles for Mouse. Their straightforward conversations are humorously punctuated by cinematic-worthy full-page spreads that pop with superhero bursts, bright lights, and bold signage.

Repeated words and phrasing (including some of the ingredients to Kat’s sandwiches) flow smoothly and naturally throughout the story, giving emerging and new readers confidence and pleasure in reading independently. Kat and Mouse’s appreciation and love for each other is infectious, and small moments between them hint at the charming personality traits kids have to look forward to in future series titles.

Kicking off an endearing and enchanting new graphic early reader series, Kat & Mouse: I Like Cheese is sure to be a favorite on any young reader’s bookshelf and enjoy constant circulation at any library.

Ages 5 – 7

Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2025 | ISBN 978-1547612420

About the Author/Illustrator

Salina Yoon is an award-winning author-illustrator of nearly two hundred books for children, including Duck, Duck, Porcupine!, the Penguin series, the Bear and Floppy series, and Be a Friend. She studied art and design at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, and now lives in San Diego with her family. Visit her at salinayoon.com.

Friendship Day Activity

Give Me Your Hand! Puzzle

In this Give Me Your Hand! Puzzle, everyone is welcomed with a handshake. Offering friendship to all, the interchangeable pieces can be mixed and matched as the animals become buddies with one another.

Supplies

Printable colored Give Me Your Hand! Puzzle
Printable blank Give Me Your Hand! Puzzle
Colored pencils or crayons
Scissors
Heavy Stock paper (optional)
Poster board (optional)
Glue (optional)

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-UN-day-puzzle

Directions

Print the puzzle: to make the puzzle sturdier: Print on heavy stock paper or glue the page to poster board
Color the pictures with colored pencils or crayons
Cut the pieces apart
Switch the pieces around to make many alternate pictures

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-UN-day-puzzle

You can purchase Kat & Mouse: I Like Cheese! from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (discounted books and support for your local independent bookstore.)

Picture Book Review

August 8 – International Cat Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

If you share your home with a cat, then you know how these furry friends can change your life. Whether you love them for their playful antics, for their companionship, or even for their independent spirit, your life just wouldn’t be the same without their daily presence. Since August of 2020, the organization International Cat Care has been the custodian of today’s holiday. Their mission is to ensure that all cats receives the love, care, and respect they deserve. This year’s theme is “Cat Friendly Every Day,” which urges all cat lovers, from veterinary professionals to cat moms, dads, and kids to be aware of their own feline’s needs as well as those in shelters or on the street. Today is the perfect time to celebrate your cat or kitten with some extra attention and care. If you’re considering adopting a cat, now would be a great time to contact your local animal shelter or rescue group to give a cat a forever home. To learn more and to sign up for helpful advice and tips or to donate to this worthy cause, visit International Cat Care.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Children’s Books for sharing a copy of this book with me!

Witch Cat

Written by Lucy Rowland | Illustrated by Laura Hughes

Pippin, a black cat with “brilliant green” eyes, had always been happy being the Witch’s purr-fect companion, but after her latest annual town-wide Halloween street party, he felt a bit of wanderlust: “He so loved his witch but he had a small itch . . . / ‘There’s a whole wide world I could see! / Just think of the places, and so many faces—/ Oh! Which kind of cat could I be?'”

That night Pippin began his journey aboard a pirate ship, invited aboard by the captain who needed help with stowaway mice. But Pippin soon learned he was more of a landlubber than a sailor, so the pirates dropped him off just outside a castle by the sea. A passing knight offered a ride in his wagon, but fighting a fiery dragon was too scary.

Continuing his search, Pippin met up with a little girl who wanted a pet she could dress up, a tightrope walker, a cowboy, and a small-plane pilot. Months went by, “but try as he might, / nothing ever felt right.” Then one day “Pippin saw an old broom in the street.” He began thinking of how much he missed the Witch, but wondered what she would say if he returned. It had been so long that he wasn’t sure of the way back home. Pippin wandered the streets, getting soaked by a pouring rain. When he spied a jack-o-lantern in front of a door, he crawled in to escape the weather and fell asleep, wishing to be with his Witch once more.

Meanwhile, the Witch was again hosting her party, and while she welcomed her guests with good cheer, it just wasn’t the same without Pippin. The townspeople brought lots of treats, and one even brought a pumpkin “with a huge smiley grin on its bright orange chin and . . . eyes of such brilliant green?!” Just then Pippin jumped out and into his Witch’s arms. She gave him a sweet, tight hug, and Pippin knew he was right where he belonged.

Lucy Rowland’s jaunty rhyming story is a perfect read aloud carried along on gentle suspense, Pippin’s humorous interactions with other could-be companions, and a heartwarming reunion. Rowland’s setting of Halloween, with costumed guests, for the Witch’s annual party provides a clever backdrop to Pippin’s desire to “try on” different personas.

Laura Hughes’s acrylic ink illustrations are loaded with the kinds of details that kids love. As the Witch and Pippin fly over the town on a broom, welcoming residents smile and wave; the pirate ship teems with endearing mice that beg counting, not capturing; dressed-up Pippin will bring giggles, and the Witch’s magical home is all the more cozy for having Pippin back. Readers may even find some inspiration for their own Halloween costumes among the party-goers.

For cat lovers, wistful dreamers, and happy homebodies, Witch Cat offers plenty to love. While the Halloween holiday is a natural tie-in, the story will resonate throughout the year and is sure to be asked for often. With spot-on rhymes, a bouncy rhythm, and a combination of exposition and dialogue, the story invites dramatic reading. It’s a fantastic choice for classroom and library story times and is highly recommended for home, school, and public library collections.

Ages 3 – 7

Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2025 | ISBN 978-1547616718

About the Author

Lucy Rowland is a star of the picture book world, and her charming, energetic and irresistible rhyming stories are firm favourites with children everywhere. Her books include This Tree Is Just for Me! (Bloomsbury), Little Red Reading Hood (Macmillan) and The Knight Who Said “No!” (Nosy Crow). Visit her at lucyrowland.com.

About the Illustrator

Laura Hughes is an award-winning and best-selling children’s illustrator. She has created artwork for over 20 picture books including The Forgettery by Rachel Ip and Hop Little Bunnies by Martha Mumford. In 2018, Laura won the Oscar’s Book Prize with author John Dougherty for the book, There’s a Pig Up My Nose. Visit her at laurahughes-illustrator.co.uk.

International Cat Day Activity

Wandering Kitty Maze

This silly kitty needs help getting home. Can you help him find his way in this Wandering Kitty Maze?

You can purchase Witch Cat from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (discounted books and support for your local independent bookstore)

Picture Book Review

December 13 – Lost and Found Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Don’t you hate when you lose something? You know . . . you just had it and now it’s nowhere to be seen. Where do eventually find it? The last place you look, of course! But what if you never find it? Perhaps someone else found it and turned it in to a lost and found department. Oh, it’s all very disconcerting. Don’t give up hope! Today’s holiday was established just to give people an opportunity to really stop what they’re doing and look for that long-lost object. Did you know that Napoleon Bonaparte was the mastermind behind the idea of a Lost and Found? In 1805 he opened the world’s first Lost and Found Office in Paris and encouraged people to bring in items they found in the street. From there the idea spread! So if you’ve lost something, take a bit of time today to find it!

Thank you to Ann Schwartz Books for sharing a copy of Lost with me for review consideration. All opinions on the book are my own.

Lost

By Bob Staake

Opening the cover of the nearly wordless Lost, you encounter a sea of white, gray-tone, and blue-tone triangles that dazzle the eyes until they are drawn to a small red curlicue near the bottom right corner, and you wonder . . .. The title page drops you into the middle of a neighborhood, where the mystery isn’t solved, but only seems to grow as four people, sporting puzzled frowns are on the move.

Eager to know what’s up? Turn the page yet again and you’re inside a little girl’s house, where something is definitely amiss. Kitty hasn’t eaten her food. She’s not playing with her yarn or toy mouse, either, so the girl goes in search. Paneled pages show her peeking around a wall, calling up the staircase, checking room to room. But then . . . Eureka! . . . the back door is open. When the girl runs out to the backyard, though, Kitty isn’t there either.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-lost-calling-kitty

With a stack of homemade LOST posters in hand, she begins papering the neighborhood and handing out copies to passersby. One of these is the mail carrier, who hasn’t seen Kitty but has, in fact, lost his own pet. He pulls a picture his green bird from his wallet and demonstrates how he flew from its cage and out the window.

In the park, she meets an elderly woman who has lost her dog. She takes a picture from her purse, explaining how it scampered under the gate and was gone. The woman still has a tear in her eye when the two wave goodbye. At the Village Market, a businessman notices one of the girl’s LOST posters and extracts from his wallet a picture of his pet giraffe that simply stepped over the wall around his house one day and disappeared. After commiserating, they smile as they bid each other goodbye. Hungry now, the girl returns to the park for a hotdog and happily carries it to the bench where she had met the woman earlier.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-lost-signs

She’s just about to take a glorious bite when she spies her own lost kitty poster and sinks into sadness. But what’s this? The delicious aroma has attracted the attention of a little blue nose, and from behind a wall appears the woman’s lost dog! The girl begins luring it home with her hotdog when she spots a familiar shadow on the sidewalk. She looks up expecting to find Kitty, but finds the bird, instead. Keeping the bird in tow with a bit of bun, she takes her finds home to make found posters and spread the good news.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-lost-giraffe-lost

Back out in the neighborhood, a passing boy lets slip his balloon, redirecting the girl’s gaze upward toward a tall tree from where the girl hears a sound. She, the bird, and the dog race into the yard to find Kitty atop the tree. But how to get her down? There’s one lost pet who would know just how to do it—and this delightful story doesn’t disappoint. Just in the knick of time, the giraffe steps over the fence, offers his nose to climb on and bows his long neck to the girl’s outstretched arms.

Meanwhile, the found posters have alerted the mail carrier and the elderly woman, and they take off running toward the girl. The businessman, sad not to see a found poster for his giraffe, at last sees his pet towering into the sky and joins the parade and the joyous reunions full of hugs that follow.

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Clever and charming from beginning to end, Bob Staake’s Lost is a treasure trove of visual humor, emotion, and surprises. So much ingenious storytelling is infused into every panel for readers of all ages to discover, and Staake’s use of facial expressions and gestures makes it easy for readers to follow the action. The hiding places of the pets turn out to be sweet reminders that our loved ones are never far away.

Lost would appeal to both those who love picture books and fans of graphic novels. The book invites multiple readings and makes a terrific canvas for inventing backstories for all of the characters and pets in this enchanting town. If you’re looking for a gift for a child or even an adult who loves comics, cartoon, and whimsical tales, you’ll find Lost to be the perfect present. Lost is also a must for public and school libraries.

Ages 3 – 7

Anne Schwartz Books, 2024 | ISBN 978-0593707029

About the Author-Illustrator

Bob Staake is the prolific illustrator and creator of many books for children, including Bluebird, My Pet Book, The Red Lemon (a New York Times Best Illustrated Book), and The Donut Chef (a Children’s Choice Book Award finalist). He illustrated Jonah Winter’s Welcome to Bobville which Booklist praised as “embracing differences” in a starred review. His most recent book, The Path, was called “extremely inspiring” by School Library Journal in a starred review. Bob’s highly acclaimed commercial illustrations have appeared in the New Yorker, Time, the Washington Post, and The New York Times. He lives in Massachusetts. Visit Bob at bobstaake.com.

Lost and Found Day Activity

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Find the Lost Pets Puzzle

The kids in this puzzle have lost their pets. Unscramble the paths and help them reunite!

Find the Lost Pets Puzzle

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-lost-cover

You can purchase Lost at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

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