November 14 – Human-Animal Relationship Week

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

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

August 26 – National Dog Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

In 2004 Pet and Family Lifestyle Expert and Animal Advocate Colleen Paige established National Dog Day to remind people – especially those who may be looking for a new pet – of all the dogs in shelters that need forever homes. The day also celebrates dogs of all breeds and honors the work of these faithful friends, whether they are family pets or specially trained as service dogs, police dogs, or search-and-rescue dogs. If you’re thinking of adding a new family member of the furry kind, or if you’d just like to make a difference to animals in shelter care, call or visit your local humane society, other shelter, or rescue organization.

Hello Dog / Hello Human (Flip Book): Two Stories in One!

Written by Sara Levine | Illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman

With their curly hair or sleek coats, sweet faces, and eager natures, dogs are natural kid magnets. But that doesn’t mean they’re always ready to be pet or played with. In Hello Dog / Hello Human, Sara Levine cleverly teaches children and adults how to recognize the traits of a receptive dog and how exactly to approach and engage with a dog you haven’t met yet.

It’s easy enough to ask a dog’s human for permission to pet their dog, but getting the dog’s permission can be a bit trickier. Behind the Hello Dog cover, Levine shows kids how to read a dog’s body language, an important skill as “dogs speak with their bodies.” Once a child has determined that the dog isn’t too busy, too shy, or too distracted, Levine goes on to reveal the human behaviors dogs consider rude and the ones they find to be polite. If a person gets a signal that their initial overtures are accepted, only then should they put out their hand to pet that furry coat.

But turn-about is fair play, and by just flipping the book over, that’s what readers find! Open the Hello Human cover, and dogs get a primer on meeting kids (with a dollop of humor, readers may also interpret these tips as courteous ways for meeting new people as well). So how does today’s discerning dog go about choosing the right human to make friends with? Well, they can read the body language. Turns out, people say a lot with their gestures and expressions too. They also use words, and it benefits both dog and human if they’re on the same page with some simple terms, especially “Sit.” While some canines may find it incredible, people tend to prefer a quiet, stationary, even non-slobbery greeting. Levine expands on these and other steps and shows what kind of welcome leads to that scratch behind the ears that, for any pup, is so rewarding.

Working perfectly in synch, author and veterinarian Sara Levine and illustrator Suzanne Kaufman have created a clever book that children and adults will find helpful whether they’re adopting a new dog or learning how to interact with dogs they meet at friends’ homes or while out in the park or neighborhood.

Levine’s straightforward and easy-to-understand steps are punctuated by Kaufman’s humorous depictions of expressive dogs of various breeds engaging in natural, madcap doggy behavior. These energetic pups appear in both stories along with a sweet child and an adorable, well-mannered pooch who’s ready to make a friend. A comical subplot involving a squirrel chase also ties the two sections together.

Educational and entertaining, Hello Dog / Hello Human is an exciting, multi-interest nonfiction story for home bookshelves that kids will want to hear often and even chime in on. The text is especially welcoming to new and emerging readers. Librarians will love displaying the book and recommending it to a wide range of patrons.

Ages 4 – 8

Roaring Brook Press, 2025 | ISBN 978-1250797025

About the Author

Sara Levine is an award-winning picture book author, veterinarian, and science educator. Her books which include Bone by Bone, Tooth by Tooth, Flower Talk, Sensitive, and The Animals Would Not Sleep! have received the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize, Bank Street College Best Book of the Year, Beehive Book Award, Cook Prize, and the Mathical Book Prize. She loves doing school and library programs. Visit her at saralevinebooks.com.

About the Illustrator

Suzanne Kaufman is the illustrator of Samanthasaurus Rex, written by B. B. Mandell; Naughty Claudine Christmas, written by Patrick Jennings; 100 Bugs!, written by Kate Narita; and the author and illustrator of I Love Monkey and It’s Confiscated. She lives in Seattle with her family. Visit her at suzannekaufman.com.

National Dog Day Activity

Find a Friend Matching Puzzle

Dogs and their humans often have personalities or even their appearance in common. Can you match up these sweet pups with their new best friend in this Find a Friend Matching Puzzle?

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

You can purchase Hello Dog / Hello Human from these booksellers

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

Picture Book Review

August 18 – Serendipity Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

The word “serendipitous” was first coined in 1754 by Horace Walpole in a letter to a friend as he described a Persian fairy tale known in English as The Three Princes of Serendip. In the story three young men, having been banished from the kingdom of Serendip (commonly known as Sri Lanka) to prove their worth, travel the world continuously enjoying surprising good luck—or serendipity—along the way. In 2001 author Madeleine Kay founded Serendipity Day to encourage people “to live your life . . . with the belief that at any moment, something wonderful is about to happen.” Let today’s holiday inspire you to pay closer attention to those moments of serendipitous magic that occur each day. They’re all around us as long as we recognize and embrace them!

The Strangest Fish

Written by Katherine Arden | Illustrated by Zahra Marwan

Daisy lives in a colorful house on the edge of a lake with water like “blue glass.” She loves the month of October for its golden trees, pumpkins, cider, and, especially, the county fair. After riding the teacups and munching popcorn, Daisy “fished for prizes from the go-fish booth.” She came away with her own, real, strange fish. Despite the fish’s extra fins, leaf-like scales, and big head, Daisy loved him and vowed to take care of him. At home she placed him in the nicest bowl and named him October.

In the morning, October had outgrown his bowl, so Daisy gave him a bigger one. The same thing happened the next morning, and the next, even though Daisy had transferred him to the bathtub. October looked like a pile of leaves. Daisy’s brother proclaimed him “so weird.” Daisy, though, thought “October was the best fish,” and when “she petted his scales, she was sure his blue eye winked at her.”

The next morning Daisy knew she had to move October again. But where? He “blinked his lake-blue eyes,” and she knew. She rolled October to the lake in her wagon then worried and worried about him all night. In the morning she ran to the lake but saw only a small ripple. Then a snout and a head broke the surface of the water, and Daisy was gazing into the lake-blue eyes of a water dragon. She cried “‘I knew you weren’t a fish!’” and happily climbed on his back for a magical trip around the lake.

Katherine Arden’s The Strangest Fish radiates charm and the type of serendipity children make happen every day with their open hearts. Daisy is a dear, and in one masterful scene that is both touching and candid, Arden reveals the depths of Daisy’s kindness: While carrying her unusual new pet from the car to the house, Daisy feels a pang of jealousy for the cute and more conventional stuffed koala bear her sister has won, but, not wanting to hurt the fish’s feelings, she keeps it to herself. “Friends didn’t hurt friends’ feelings,” she knows. Instead, Daisy tells her fish that she will give him “the nicest bowl.” Arden extends such perception to each family member, as well, through lyrical descriptions and dialog peppered with honest sibling and parental banter and Daisy’s loving reassurances to October that make her story a read aloud with poignancy for all ages.

Fanciful and shimmering with breathtaking color, Zahra Marwan’s watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations invite readers to enjoy a nostalgic autumn fair before welcoming them into Daisy’s close-knit family life. The siblings’ love for each other shows up in heart-patterned clothing and the way Daisy and her sister and brother huddle under one blanket as they worry about October together. Marwan’s singular fish is part punk aesthetic, part balloon, and completely adorable, stealing readers’ hearts from their first glimpse of him. The details Marwan sprinkles throughout her pages are both evocative and quirky, and she even adds a bit of foreshadowing (but I won’t tell you where). October’s final incarnation will delight kids and adults alike.

Enchanting, unforgettable, and with an ending that fulfills all of a child’s heartfelt wishes, The Strangest Fish is a story that kids will want to hear again and again and is a must addition to home, classroom, and all library collections.

Ages 4 – 8

Astra Young Readers, 2024 | ISBN 978-1662620782

About the Author

Katherine Arden is the NYT-bestselling author of the Winternight Trilogy and the middle-grade series Small Spaces. She won the 2020 Vermont Golden Dome Book Award and was a finalist for the 2020 Hugo Award for Best Series. She graduated from Middlebury College in 2011, where she obtained her degree in Russian and French.

About the Illustrator

Zahra Marwan is a children’s book author-illustrator and the 2022 recipient of the Dilys Evans Founder’s Award. Her first picture book, Where Butterflies Fill the Sky, was named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2022 and a NYT Best Illustrated Children’s Book. Originally from Kuwait, Zahra now lives in New Mexico.

Serendipity Day Activity

Go Fishing Game

Kids can engage in their own serendipitous adventure with this Go Fishing Game! With a paper plate pond, some printable fish, and a few other supplies, kids will be catching a whole lot of fun in no time!

Supplies

Printable Colorful Fish Template
Printable Black and White Fish Template
Printable Go Fishing! Playing Die (optional)
A large straw, wooden dowel, or pencil for a fishing pole
String
Two 1-inch round magnets for fishing pole
Paper clips
Scissors
Crayons (optional)
Glue (optional)

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-go-fishing-game-1

Directions

Color the paper plate blue
Print the Go Fishing! Game Playing Die (optional)

To Make the Fish

Print the fish templates or have kids draw and color their own fish and cut out
Tape a paper clip to the back of the fish or slip a paperclip on the nose of the fish
If using back-to-back templates, cut fish out, put a paper clip between the sides and glue or tape the two sides together

To Make the Fishing Pole

Tie a length of string to the straw, pencil, or dowel
Sandwich the other end of the string between the two circular magnets
Lay the fish on the plate
Go fishing!

Optional Game: Kids can roll the die to determine which fish to catch.

You can purchase The Strangest Fish 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

May 2 – Baby Day + National Pet Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holidays

For today’s book, I’m celebrating two holidays—Baby Day and National Pet Month! Baby Day was established to showcase the importance of a child’s first three years of life and the special bond babies share with their parents, siblings, and the other people in their life. National Pet Month encourages pet owners to ensure that their pets have everything they need to live a long and healthy life. Whether a baby, a pet, or both have found a place in your heart, celebrate today by spending extra time with them and showing them how they make your life and family better.

Thanks to Jamie Michalak for sharing a copy of Hazel the Handful with me!

Hazel the Handful

Written by Jamie Michalak | Illustrated by Matt Myers

Right on the title page a seemingly tiny dog calls “Yoo-hooooo! Up here!” from a second story window, inviting readers to come inside and see her true stature. In the living room Hazel, tail thumping, and dwarfed by the sofa, the throw pillow, and even the chewed-on TV remote, proudly says, “In my home, I look big, no?” This pint-sized pup with a BIG personality is eager to show off her home. She points out her favorite toys, her stroller “ride,” and Bea, her “girl!!!”.

Hazel and Bea like to dance together, and when Bea’s mom declares her daughter “a handful” after crashing into an end table, sending the lamp and mug flying, Hazel adopts this cool moniker herself. Yes, “together, me and Bea are sensational,” she says. Next, Hazel outlines a “sensational day with Bea”—from outdoor adventures like going on a business trip (behind the fire hydrant) to scaring off the big dogs, to showing passersby that she is NOT a cutie patootie but a “Very Important Business Dog.” The rest of the day is spent napping . . . and doing fun things with Bea . . . and napping. Hazel loves Bea and can’t wait for each new day.

That was sensational day before “the baby moved in, with its “loud noises . . . and stinkity stink stinks.” Now there are no games, no stroller rides, and no “cutie patootie” compliments (those go to the baby), and sometimes Hazel even wonders if Bea still loves her. On a particularly non-sensational day, when Hazel inadvertently crashes into the end table, sending things airborne, and gets a scolding from Mom—”‘Oh, Hazel! You are a handful'”—she hides under her blanket in the one room no one checks. Miserable, Hazel falls asleep, but wakes to hear Bea shouting her name and crying.

Hazel runs to Bea, getting a tight hug. For the first time, Hazel recognizes how like a puppy the baby is and appreciates the pets he gives and the crumbs he leaves for Hazel to snack on later. Hazel’s thinking “maybe the baby isn’t so bad” after all.

Jamie Michalak has packed her story of a spirited doggie wrestling with sibling rivalry, with humor, heart, and lots of laughs. Kids will instantly fall in love with teeny-tiny Hazel as she confidently introduces herself, suffers the incredulity of feeling second-best when the baby comes, and happily learns that she’s still loved by Bea. Hazel’s eventual embrace of the baby is comically true to her personality while showing a new perspective and generosity.

Matt Myers’ adorable and exuberant watercolor and ink illustrations capture all the sweetness and self-assurance of tiny Hazel’s larger-than-life personality. As Hazel takes readers on a tour of her home, kids will quickly catch onto the event that will soon change her life and be charmed by Hazel’s love for Bea and all that goes into their special bond. The two spreads showing before- and after-baby photos of Hazel are particularly humorous, as is her ice-skating-worthy slide into the table that sets up her realization that there’s room for both the new baby and her in this loving family.

A funny and endearing read aloud kids will want to share again and again, Hazel the Handful will enjoy continuous rotation at school and public libraries and be a quick favorite on home bookshelves.

Ages 4 – 8

Candlewick, 2025 | ISBN 978-1536231199

Jamie Michalak is the author of the Dakota Crumb books, illustrated by Kelly Murphy; the Frank and Bean books, illustrated by Bob Kolar; the Joe and Sparky series, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz; and many other acclaimed titles for young readers. She lives in Rhode Island. Visit Jamie at jamiemichalakbooks.com.

Matt Myers is the illustrator of the Infamous Ratsos chapter book series by Kara LaReau, Lily Leads the Way by Margi Preus, and E-I-E-I-O: How Old MacDonald Got His Farm (with a Little Help from a Hen) by Judy Sierra, as well as many other books for young readers. Matt Myers lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. Visit Matt at myerspaints.com.

Baby Day + National Pet Month Activity

Peppy Puppies Match Up Puzzle

These puppies want to find a friend. Can you match the ones that go together in this printable puzzle? There may be more than one right answer! How many matches can you find?

Peppy Puppies Match Up Puzzle

You can purchase Hazel the Handful from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

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.

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

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

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-find-my-pet-maze

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

Picture Book Review

January 22 – Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Whether you have a cat (or many), enjoy playing with your friend’s cat, or just love watching cat videos, you know that cats are cute, curious, cunning, and completely captivating. They’re also great communicators, and we can learn a lot about what they want and what they don’t want if we pay close attention to their patterns of behavior. Today’s holiday was thought up by Ruth and Thomas Roy of wellcat.com to encourage cat owners to spend extra time with their cats and do just that. By understanding your cats better and and seeing to their needs, both you and your feline will forge a stronger bond, be closer, and be happier living together.

P Is for Purr

Written by Carole Gerber | Illustrated by Susanna Covelli

Do you hear it? That low motor revving with happiness? That Purr with a capital P? That distinctive hum can only be signaling one thing: a pure love for Carole Gerber’s and Susanna Covelli’s adorable alphabet book that delivers all sorts of information on cats, from different breeds to their cunning behaviors to their unique physical attributes. Beginning with “A” for American Shorthair, readers learn cat-centric vocabulary and surprising facts about this favorite furry pet. Did you know, for example, that American Shorthairs “crossed the sea on sailing ships and kept them free of rats”? And some of those weren’t just any ships. “Ancestors of American Shorthairs came on the pilgrims’ ships to guard their food from rats.”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-P-is-for-purr-purring

Image copyright Susanna Covelli, 2022, text copyright Carole Gerber, 2022. Courtesy of Familius.

At “I” we learn just how felines can be so aloof one minute and then snuggling up to you the next: “I is for Intelligence. / Cats are cunning and they’re smart. / They all know how to get their way / and creep into your heart.” How do they know? In a little cat-paw-clue sidebar, Gerber reveals that “The parts of cats’ brains are connected in exactly the same ways as human brains.”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-P-is-for-purr-claws

Image copyright Susanna Covelli, 2022, text copyright Carole Gerber, 2022. Courtesy of Familius.

In charming rhymes, Carole Gerber answers kids’ (and adults’) questions about which breed of cat is the chattiest, how fast a house cat can run, how cats release their claws, and how a cat tells you it’s time for some affection: “Underbelly, soft and warm. That’s the letter U. / A belly turned up on display? That’s a feline petting clue!” And what about all those whiskers that give cats their very distinguished look? Well, “W is Whiskers. They grow mainly on the face, / and help a cat to feel its way into every space.”

Susanna Covelli’s fluffy, expressive cats and kittens gaze out at readers with their big, bright eyes, mischievous grins, and even those supercilious frowns we cat-owners know all too well. Tabbies, Siamese, black cats, white cats, a Maine Coon, and even a Sphynx stretch, yawn, leap, lie across knees for pets, groom, play, and sleep in heartwarming and humorous illustrations.

P Is for Purr would be a purr-fect addition to home, school, and public library collections for young children learning the alphabet and becoming readers as well as for cat lovers or those looking to welcome a cat or kitten into their lives.

Ages 3 – 6

Familius, 2022 | ISBN 978-1641707411

About the Author

Poet and author Carole Gerber has written sixteen picture books, three chapter books, and more than one hundred elementary science and reading texts for major publishers. Her most picture recent book, A Band of Babies, was named a 2017 Best Book for Children by Amazon editors. She holds a BS in English education and an MA in journalism from Ohio State, and has taught middle school and high school English as well as college news writing and factual writing at OSU. Learn more at www.carolegerber.com.

About the Illustrator

Susanna Covelli was born in a small town in Piedmont, Italy, earned an MA in architecture, and followed her passion for art and decided to attend a specialization course in both traditional and digital illustration at Scuola Iternazionale di Comics in Turin. Her art expresses her own imagination and inspiration from nature, and she has always been attracted by sinuous shapes, Baroque style, and out-of-the-ordinary perspective. You can connect with Susanna on Instagram.

Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day Activities

Match the Kittens Puzzle

Little ones can have fun matching up the kitten pairs in this printable puzzle!

Match the Kittens Puzzle

Purr-fect Friends Maze

Kids can help these cat friends get together to play in this printable maze!

Purr-fect Friends Maze Puzzle | Purr-fect Friends Maze Solution

**You can find P Is for Purr at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

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P Is for Purr

Written by Carole Gerber | Illustrated by Susanna Covelli

Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day Activities

Match the Kittens Puzzle

Purr-fect Friends Maze

You can find P Is for Purr at these booksellers

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Share this:

**You can find P Is for Purr at these booksellers**