April 24 – Arbor Day

About the Holiday

Arbor Day, a national celebration of trees, began as a campaign by J. Morton Sterling and his wife after they moved from Michigan to Nebraska in 1854 and advocated for planting trees as windbreaks for crops, to keep soil from washing away, as building materials, and for shade. In 1872, Morton proposed that a tree-planting day be established in April. On the first Arbor Day nearly one million trees were planted in Nebraska. The idea was made official in 1874, and soon, other states joined in. In 1882 schools began taking part. Today, most states celebrate Arbor Day on the last Friday of April or day more suited for their growing season. To learn about events in your area, find activities to download, and more, visit the Arbor Day Foundation website.

Just One Oak: What a Single Tree Can Be

Written by Maria Gianferrari | Illustrated by Diana Sudyka

“Just one oak . . . from the tip of its crown down to the ground, with roots all around, sustains so very many creatures, from the teeny-tiny to the big and mighty.” So begins Maria Gianferrari’s fascinating exploration of all the ways oak trees contribute to and sustain the ecosystem where they live. From their distinctive leaves to their shaggy bark to their incredible acorns, oak trees are self-protecting while providing shelter and food for an amazing array of wildlife.

At ground level, Gianferrari shows how “leaf litter, the blanket beneath its boughs,” creates the perfect environment for snails, insects, amphibians, fungi, and more to hide, feed, and grow. And that little acorn nestled under the leaves? Gianferrari digs in to reveal how a mighty oak begins with just one taproot that branches and branches until its root system spreads “farther than the canopy is wide.”

And oh those acorns! They’re so much more than their tiny size may lead you to believe. Just one acorn can house one creature or hundreds. They are a universal “superfood” as well as a tidy seed that can reproduce where it drops or be carried far afield. When it grows up, “just one oak creates a microclimate,” with its impressive canopy and prevents flooding, erosion, and drought with its far-reaching roots. Yes, “just one oak is beautiful and bountiful to all.”

Maria Gianferrari takes readers outdoors to get a close-up view of one oak tree, and by extension an enlightened understanding of the reach of this keystone species. Her lyrical introductions, capped with a repeated “Just one oak . . .”—a phrase that reinforces the contributions of these trees, give way to paragraphs of factual information. Each of these paragraphs are packed with specific information about the types of creatures sustained by just one tree and the benefits they enjoy. The numbers here are simply astounding and could inspire many cross-curricular lessons in math, science, language arts, art, and more.

Diana Sudyka’s nature illustrations are beautiful, exciting, and full of the kinds of small, impactful details readers love and that expand their understanding of the text (especially for visual learners). Animals scamper, birds feast, and an entire community of creepy-crawlies scurry through leaf litter and below in Sudyka’s action-filled pages. Each spread will have children lingering to discover all the wonders of an oak tree.

A glorious celebration of the oak tree and the species that rely on it, Just One Oak will spark curiosity and an appreciation for the interconnections among wildlife. The book will delight any nature lover and is a must for school and public libraries.

Ages 4 – 8+

Beach Lane Books, 2026 | ISBN 978-1665961042

About the Author

Maria Gianferrari is a picture book reader/writer, tea-drinker, dog-lover, and birdwatcher. Maria writes books that honor our bonds with creatures both domestic and wild and that celebrate the natural world around us, including Fungi Grow and Just One Oak, illustrated by Diana Sudyka; Ice Cycle: Poems about the Life of Ice, illustrated by Jieting Chen; Being a Dog: A Tail of Mindfulness, illustrated by Pete Oswald; Bobcat Prowling, illustrated by Bagram Ibatouilline; and Be a Tree!, illustrated by Felicita Sala. She lives with her family in Massachusetts in a house encircled by trees. To learn more about Maria, visit her website: MariaGianferrari.com.

About the Illustrator

Diana Sudyka is a Chicago-based illustrator. Early on, she created screen-printed gig posters for musicians but currently her illustration work focuses on young adult, middle grade, and children’s books. She has illustrated several volumes of the award-winning book series, including The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart and Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley, as well as the picture books Would You Come Too? by Liz Garton Scanlon, Sometimes Rain by Meg Fleming, What Miss Mitchell Saw by Hayley Barrett, How to Find a Bird by Jennifer Ward, and Fungi Grow and Just One Oak by Maria Gianferrari. Visit her at DianaSudyka.com.

Arbor Day Activities

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-paper-plate-tree-craft-2

Paper Plate Tree

On Earth Day children love planting trees in their yard or as part of a community project. With this easy craft, they can also plant a tree on their wall or bulletin board.

Supplies

Two paper plates
Paper towel tube
Brown craft paint
Green craft paint (using a variety of green paints adds interest)
Paintbrush, cork, or cut carrot can be used to apply paint
Glue or hot glue gun or stapler

Directions

Paint the paper towel tube brown, let dry
Paint the bottoms of the two paper plates with the green (or other color) paints, let dry
Flatten about 4 inches of the paper towel tube
Glue or tape the flat part of the paper towel tube to the unpainted side of one paper plate
Glue the edges of the two paper plates together, let dry.
Straighten the tree so that it can stand up, or hang your tree on a wall, bulletin board, in a window

Just One Oak Activity Kit from Beach Lane Books

Teachers and other educators can find a comprehensive Activity Kit with discussion questions, hands-on activities, and more to accompany Just One Oak on Maria Gianferrari’s website.

You can purchase Just One Oak: What a Single Tree Can Be from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

April 22 – Earth Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

First celebrated 56 years ago, Earth Day is the world’s largest civic-focused event. The initiative began on April 22, 1970, when 20 million Americans (10% of the population) demonstrated against the industrialization, pollution, and pesticides that were damaging people and the environment. In response, in July of 1970, Republican President Nixon and the US Congress created the Environmental Protections Agency and enacted laws such as the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act among others.

This year’s theme is “Our Power, Our Planet.” From Saturday, April 18 to Earth Day on the 22nd and beyond, Earth Day and Earth Month will organize communities and individuals to take part in community cleanups, teach-ins, peaceful demonstrations, tree planting, voter registration, town hall meetings, community organizing and more. Every action strengthens the movement and what we can accomplish. To learn how you can participate or access resources in your area, visit the official Earth Day website.

Thanks to Greystone Books for sending me a copy of this book for review!

Fiddlehead Forest: Little Habitats 2

By Jana Curll

After a lightning storm, Fern and her fronds—Millipede, Slug, Moth, Mushroom, and the Lichens—discover a tree that’s fallen and can’t get up. Mushroom suggests the tree become a log, but the unhappy tree wants to return to its days of glory, of being “tall, strong, and useful—important!” Fern “guaran-trees” she will make it happen.

Tiny Millipede is first to volunteer his talents. It’ll be a cinch, he thinks. All he has to do is eat and eat and eat and molt and molt and molt until he’s grown enough segments and legs to push the tree back into position. It turns out, though, there’s only so much one millipede can eat before getting “in-dig-estion,” so Fern concocts another, kinda crazy plan involving Moth, dangerous animals, and “geome-TREE” (Beard Lichen thinks it’s “more like insani-TREE”). When that doesn’t fly, Fern enlists Slug in an even more convoluted idea that any slime lover could get behind. Unfortunately, it’s a no-goo too.

With the help of the Lichens’ and Mushroom’s insight, Tree accepts its fate and vows to “do my best with where I am now.” As night falls the friends stay close, keeping Log company. In the morning Fern has yet one more idea, but this one isn’t zany or complex. She invites everyone to stay, hang out, and just do their thing. “FERN-ally” Log discovers its new role—one in which it is long, strong, and useful—important!

In addition to the story, each chapter includes a two-page spread of fascinating facts about millipedes, moths, slugs, lichens, fungi, ferns, and nurse logs that describe their importance to Earth’s ecosystems.

Equal parts hilarious and educational, Jana Curll’s Fiddlehead Forest is a punsters paradise, where kids will be giggling so often they may not even realize how much they’re learning. Curll’s mix of witty banter, caring friendship, and scientific facts, all presented in her bright and adorable graphic novel format, will delight kids. Fiddlehead Forest has plenty of repeat readability, applications for classrooms and homeschoolers, and appeal for any library collection.

Ages 6 – 9

Greystone Books, 2026 | ISBN 978-1778401046

About the Author

Jana Curll is a children’s illustrator based on the rainy west coast of Canada and is grateful to live on the traditional lands of the shíshálh Nation with her family. She is inspired by the creatures and environment of the local rainforests and the ocean and spends her spare time wandering through winding trails and along rocky beaches. She likes doodling funny maps and sipping strong coffee while her large cat sleeps on her lap. She’s also the author-illustrator of Barnacle Bay, the first book in the Little Habitats series also published by Greystone Kids. Visit her at janacurrl.com.

Earth Day Activity

How Old Is This Tree?

In this activity children learn what the rings on a cross section of a tree trunk mean and how to count them to determine the age of a tree is and discover events from its past.

How Old Is This Tree? Discussion Sheet | How Old Is This Tree? Worksheet

You can purchase Fiddlehead Forest (Little Habitats, 2) from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

April 20 – Earth Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Earth Month was established in the United States on April 4, 1970 following a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, CA. The initiative’s purpose was to raise awareness of and action on issues concerning the environment. By 1990, Earth Month had become a global event, and in 1992, the United Nations became actively involved, further increasing the organization’s visibility. Today, leaders, and environmental activists from all over the world work together to create sustainable development and offer climate solutions to prevent further harm to our planet’s natural resources, making Earth Month widely recognized as one of the most important month-long observances in the world.

Thank you to Phaidon Press for sending me a copy of this book for review!

Who’s Hiding? Under the Sea: A Lift-and-See Book

Written by Janet Lawler | Illustrated by James Weston Lewis

Splash into an underwater adventure with your little one in this board book that introduces six sea creatures, all of which have remarkable characteristics that help them survive and thrive. Diving in, children are instantly immersed in the colorful undersea world, where tropical fish, seagrass, anemones, coral, curious crabs, shrimp, and more invite them to play a guessing game, courtesy of the fun lift-the-flap format.

Janet Lawler’s charming and educational rhymes give kids hints about who is hiding just at their fingertips while teaching them a salient fact or two about each creature. One favorite ocean dweller describes itself this way: “No need to alarm / if I break off an arm. / I can make a new start / by regrowing that part! Who am I?” Behind the creature’s hiding place, children find a sea star and a bit more information about their helpful trait. Young nature lovers will be excited to add these fascinating nuggets to their growing repertoire and share them with family and friends.

James Weston Lewis’s spectacular illustrations will enthrall readers with their vibrant colors and layered perspectives that provide an up-close view of each creature in its habitat as well as a realistic feeling of the depth and movement under the sea. The sturdy flaps are die cut, allowing little fingers to easily grasp and lift or pull them without help. Peek-a-boo hints visible around these flaps entice guessing. Lewis has populated his ocean views with a wide array of fish, crabs, shells, mussels, turtles, sharks, and plants that kids will love pointing out, naming, and learning about.

Who’s Hiding? Under the Sea is a fresh, exciting board book that will stimulate sensory and intellectual curiosity in young children. The book’s well-conceived design will grow with children from captivating babies and toddlers with its colors, interactive elements, and rhythmical text to fascinating preschoolers and beyond with its abundance of gorgeous lifelike details and intriguing facts delivered in delightfully smart lyrical verses. It makes a fun take-along book for trips to the aquarium, beach, and even the pet store! Families, preschool educators and all school and public libraries will want Who’s Hiding? Under the Sea on their shelves.

Ages: Preschool and up

Phaidon Press, 2026 | ISBN 978-1837290895

About the Author

Janet Lawler has published more than 30 fiction and nonfiction picture books and early readers. Her recent titles include Celebrate! A Happy Book of Firsts (Feiwel & Friends, 2022), Oceans of Love (Viking, 2022), and Walrus Song (Candlewick, 2021). Her popular seasonal titles are Fright School, Winter Cats, Snowzilla, and Mirabel’s Missing Valentines. Visit her website at JanetLawler.com.

About the Illustrator

James Weston-Lewis is an illustrator and printmaker based in London. He studied illustration at the University of the West of England, where he specialised in woodcut and linocut printmaking. His first children’s book, The Great Fire of London, was longlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal. His clients include: The Financial Times, Radio Times, The Times,Telegraph and many more. Visit him at jwestonlewis.co.uk.

Earth Month Activity

Match Up the Animals! Game

Test your powers of memory with this Sea Creatures Memory Game!

Supplies

Printable Sea Creatures Memory Game Cards Page 1 | Page 2
Colored pencils, markers, or crayons
Scissors

Directions

Print 2 copies of the Sea Creatures Memory Game Cards pages to have double cards. To make the game easy, print 2 copies of one of these pages. For a harder game print 2 copies of both pages. To make the game even more difficult print 3 or more copies of the pages.
Color the cards
Cut out the cards
Lay the cards face down on a table in random order
Turn over cards to look for matching pairs
If the cards don’t match lay them both face down again
When you find a matching pair leave the cards face up
Continue playing until you find all the matching animal pairs or groups

You can purchase Who’s Hiding? Under the Sea from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

April 17 – National Humor Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

During April we celebrate one of the most fantastic things about life—humor! Established in 1976 by comedian and author Larry Wilde, National Humor Month promotes all things funny to raise awareness of the benefits of laughter and joy. Whether you’re laughing at a funny joke, your favorite comedian, a comic strip, a silly mistake, or even yourself, a chuckle is good for you! Today, take time to relax and enjoy the small absurdities in life with a few hearty “Ha ha ha’s!” along the way. Today’s book is a perfect place for you and your kids to start!

A big thanks to TOON Books/Astra Publishing for sending me a copy of this book for review!

The Selfish Sister

Written by David Sedaris | Illustrated by Bob Staake

Stop! Before you even open the cover of this book, lock up your valuables, your knick-knacks, your pets! Batten the hatches for the tsunami about to be unleashed. While the girl you’ll meet may look little, she has a BIG appetite for . . . well . . . for everything. Just ask her brother. This girl’s favorite word is “mine, mine, mine” as in hers, hers, hers, NEVER yours, yours, yours. Ready? (If you think there has to be something she won’t want, you’re not ready.) Okay, let’s go.

This “selfish sister” mines the air, the world, the town, her home. Just watch her work: “‘That’s my watch, my witch, my cork / That’s my croc, my tuning fork.'” Just listen to her woebegone brother: “She took my bed, my towel, my chair / my stuffed giraffe, my threadbare hare.”

When she’s on a spree, stand back and hold your breath (or she will no doubt take that too). “Don’t try to ride her bright green trike. / It’s hers alone, the unkind tyke. / It sits un-used, ignored, forsaken / not pedaled yet, no long rides taken.” I know what you’re thinking: surely someone ought to stop her. But when her father said “‘Enough!'” . . . she held fast, and called his bluff.” So as you see, there’s nothing that this girl won’t claim. But cling to this: possession may be nine-tenths of the law, but it isn’t everything—as you will see!

David Sedaris has whipped up a tornado of a tyrant, sweeping readers into his puckish whirlwind of nimble and inventive rhymes that build into a farcical delight that will have kids and adults guffawing even as they absorb Sedaris’s messages about sharing, family, jealousy, and the idea that unkind behavior has consequences. The surprise ending gives kids and adults the impetus to talk about caring relationships.

Bob Staake lends his singular creative vision to The Selfish Sister in an inspired match up with Sedaris’s madcap storytelling. The sister’s greed and pretensions are right there for everyone to see in her green skin and golden crown as she points and picks whatever she wants, whenever she wants it. Staake’s ingenious perspectives, comical facial expressions, clever details, and visual puns will keep readers laughing. The final pages deliver a satisfying comeuppance.

A rollicking read aloud that pairs two comedic geniuses, The Selfish Sister will enjoy enthusiastic circulation at home and for library collections.

Ages 7 – 10

Toon Books, 2026 | ISBN 978-1662665769

David Sedaris is the author of Barrel Fever and Holidays on Ice, as well as collections of personal essays, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, When You Are Engulfed in Flames. Sedaris’ pieces appear regularly in The New Yorker and have twice been included in “The Best American Essays.” There are over ten million copies of his books in print and they have been translated into 25 languages. Visit him at davidsedarisbooks.com.

Bob Staake has authored/illustrated over 75 children’s books, which have been translated into over 12 languages around the world. One of the nation’s most prolific illustrators, Bob Staake’s clients have included The New Yorker, TIME, McDonald’s, Vanity Fair, Amtrak, Young & Rubicam, American Express, Sony, United Airlines, Nickelodeon, and countless others. Visit him at bobstaake.com.

National Humor Month Activity

Silly Balloons

You can have lots of silly fun with balloons! Try some of these ideas—they’re sure to make you laugh!

GOOFY FACES

Blow up a balloon and draw a funny face on it. Rub the balloon on your shirt or a blanket and stick it to the wall, your shirt, or even your mom or dad!

CRAZY HAIR

Rub a blown-up balloon on your shirt or a blanket (fleece works well) then hold it near your hair and watch it go a little crazy!

BEND WATER

This bit of balloon magic will amaze you! Rub a blown-up balloon on a blanket (fleece works well). Turn on a faucet to a thin stream of water. Hold the balloon near the stream of water and watch it bend toward the balloon.

VOLLEYBALLOON

This is a fun game for two or more people played like volleyball—but with balloons! All you need is a balloon and a line on the floor. Players form teams and bat the balloon back and forth over the line, keeping it in the air.as long as possible. A team wins a point when the opposing team can’t return the balloon.

You can purchase The Selfish Sister from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | B&N Signed Edition | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

April 15 – World Art Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

World Art Day was declared on April 15, 2012 at the General Assembly of the International Association of Art and celebrates the importance and joy of art in our lives as well as aiming to promote cultural exchange, art appreciation, and the spread of artistic expression around the world. The date was chosen to honor the birthday Leonardo da Vinci as a symbol of world peace, tolerance, freedom of expression, and multiculturalism. To celebrate today, visit a museum or make some art of your own!

My Art Book of Peace

Written by Shana Gozansky | Designed by Meagan Bennett

In today’s loud, bustling, and demanding world, it can be hard for adults and children to find a moment’s peace. My Art Book of Peace is the perfect antidote. Thirty-one famous artworks—paintings, photographs, sculptures, and an installation—from today’s and yesteryear’s most acclaimed artists, including Diego Rivera, Gordon Parks, Joy Labinjo, Javier Calleja, Aliza Nisenbaum, and Cai Guo-Qiang, are woven together with Shana Gozansky’s soothing text that will charm readers of all ages.

Becoming immersed in the pages, you and your child will feel yourselves relax—Ahhh . . .—as Gozansky gently guides you to thoughtful reflections on feelings of peace, where you can find it, and when. Each page also invites readers to actively engage with the images, connecting them to their own experiences and sharing the ideas and feelings each one imparts.

If, in all the hubbub, that tranquil feeling is lost, Gozansky shows you how to discover it again. Before this lovingly curated collection ends, she leaves you to contemplate peace as freedom—freedom to play, freedom to love, freedom to be yourself—and with a last wish that you find peace inside yourself and all around you.

Back matter includes information on each image, including the work’s title and date, the artist’s name, medium, and more.

Shana Gozansky’s lyrical text flows serenely from page to page, connecting readers to illuminating and spectacularly reproduced artworks that provide vivid and evocative illustrations of her ideas. Children and adults will enjoy reminiscing about the peaceful and joyful experiences each artwork elicits as well as discussing the variety of ways peace can be interpreted.

My Art Book of Peace will enhance any library board book or art collection, would be an inspiring cross-curricular addition to classroom and homeschool educators, and will become a family favorite to keep close at hand for frequent reading.

Ages: Preschool and up

Phaidon Press, 2026 | ISBN 978-1837291526

Shana Gozansky wears a lot of hats. She writes books for kids and their grownups, directs plays for everyone, and coaches parents. She is the author of Phaidon’s My Art Books series, How to Be a Witch (with Gabrielle Balkan), and has more books on the horizon. She holds an MFA in Directing from the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Programs and is a graduate of Bard College. She lives in Massachusetts with her spouse, tween, and a dog named Miss Piggy. Visit shanagozansky.com to find out more.

World Art Day Activity

Peace Sign Coloring Pages

Coloring can be a calming and rewarding activity for all ages. These three peace sign coloring pages give everyone in the family a chance to create and have fun together on this day that’s all about art! You can find more Peace Coloring Pages and lots more at MondayMandala.com.

Plain Peace Sign | Simple Flowers Peace Sign | Floral Peace Sign

You can purchase My Art Book of Peace from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

April 14 – Yom HaShoah/Holocaust Remembrance Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

This year Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) began on the evening of April 13 and continues until nightfall today. Yom HaShoah is an annual day of remembrance for Jewish communities around the world to commemorate the six million Jews who were killed in the Holocaust, also known as the Shoah. Yom HaShoah occurs on the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, which was the largest act of Jewish resistance during the Holocaust and lasted for 29 days. To learn more, find research resources, and listen to or read Holocaust testimonies, visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum at ushmm.org.

Thank you to Abrams Young Readers for sending me this book for review.

Three Pieces of Broken Glass

Written by Emily Barth Isler | Illustrated by Vesper Stamper

When the narrator visits her Great-Grandmother Inge, it’s always a special occasion with treats served on an elegantly set table. But one day the young girl knocks over one of the shimmering water glasses, sending it crashing to the floor. Great-Grandma Inge dries her granddaughter’s tears, telling her, “‘It’s not only good luck to break glass sometimes but also tradition.'” For the first time the girl notices three shards of glass on the windowsill and asks about them.

Picking up the first piece, a bit of glimmering blue, Grandma explains the Jewish wedding custom in which the new husband smashes a glass underfoot, the many shards symbolizing their infinite joy and love. The next piece—sharp and clear—holds the memory of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, when “‘all the windows in all the Jewish homes and shops and synagogues in Germany. . . were smashed and broken.'” This piece reminds Grandma Inge that while sad, something broken can also “‘save your life.'” She then relates that her parents and others heeded the warning of the broken glass and knew it was time to flee.

The third came from Inge’s mother’s favorite glass. Inge considers it lucky because on the day her mother dropped it, Inge—who had been separated from her family for a long time—was reunited with them. Inge says she has carried it with her for all her important events, including the days her sons and her great-grand daughter were born. Inge sweeps up the shards from the water glass and gives one piece to her great-grand daughter to remind her of all the stories she’s heard that day and hoping it will bring her luck. Thinking of all the history that had led to that moment, the girl knows that “‘it already has.'”

An Author’s Note, with photographs, reveals that the story is based on the life of her husband’s grandmother Inge as well as her own experiences listening to stories from her relatives and friends who survived the Holocaust.

In her poignant intergenerational story, Emily Barth Isler inspires readers to embrace life, its good and hard times and the memories that remain, reminding them that strength, compassion, understanding, love, and our connections to one another are forged from our own and shared experiences. Her references to the Holocaust—Kristallnacht and the separation of Grandma Inge from her family—are sensitively addressed for children while providing the resonant history that unites Inge, her great-granddaughter, and their extended family. The affectionate relationship between Great-Grandmother Inge and her granddaughter is warm and trusting and will swell readers’ hearts.

Vesper Stamper’s watercolor and gouache illustrations radiate emotion and meaning. Her rich color palette reflects the depth of history each glass shard represents, and their lovely rainbow refractions glow as a metaphor for the significance each piece holds. Images of Great-Grandmother Inge and her granddaughter together are compassionate and supportive.

Tender and loving, Three Pieces of Broken Glass is an uplifting book that readers will take to heart. The book is a must for all library collections and would be a meaningful addition to home bookshelves.

Ages 4 – 8

Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2026 | ISBN 978-1419778728

About the Author

Emily Barth Isler is the award-winning author of the middle grade novels AfterMath and The Color of Sound. Her writing has appeared in Allure, Oprah Daily, O Quarterly, Kveller, Publisher’s Weekly, Today.com, and more. As the cofounder of the Burbank Book Festival in Southern California, Isler loves providing opportunities for all kinds of stories to be heard. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their two kids. Visit her at emilybarthisler.com.

About the Illustrator

Vesper Stamper writes and illustrates books that tell stories of broken things being put back together. Her debut novel, What the Night Sings, was a Sydney Taylor Book Award winner, a National Book Award nominee, and a National Jewish Book Award finalist. She and her husband, Ben Stamper, have all sorts of artistic escapades near New York City, where Vesper teaches illustration at the School of Visual Arts. Visit her at vesperillustration.com.

You can purchase Three Pieces of Broken Glass from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

March 13 – International Dark Sky Week

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

International Dark Sky Week (IDSW) was founded in 2003 by high school student Jennifer Barlow, who wanted to raise awareness about the problems caused by light pollution and invite people to make beneficial changes. The initiative is now managed by DarkSky International, an association founded in the 1980s by astronomers with the hopes of restoring the nighttime environment from the damage created by the excessive use of light. To learn more about DarkSky International and how you can help, visit them at idsw.darksky.org. Make sure to check out their Activity Page for kids crafts, activity pages, virtual nighttime and NASA tours, and ways that you and your family can get involved in citizen-science projects, and more!

Thanks to Eerdmans Books for Young Readers for sending me this book for review!

Who Hid the Stars?: How Light Pollution Changes Our World

Written by Danio Miserocchi and Maciej Michno | Illustrated by Valentina Gottardi | Translated by Sylvia Notini

Through their informative text, translated from Italian, Danio Miserocchi and Maciej Michno take readers on nighttime walks to see for themselves the types of artificial light that, while beneficial to humans are detrimental to many creatures. They begin with a short history of artificial light and define light pollution while Valentina Gottardi illustrates how outdoor light fixtures can be shielded for least-polluting effect.

In their chapter on birds, Miserocchi and Michno discuss how artificial light creates unnatural and even dangerous conditions for diurnal birds, who sleep at night; nocturnal birds, who need darkness to hunt; and night-flying migratory birds, who can get lost or confused by lights along their routes. Gottardi’s map showing the world lit up at night will fascinate readers while demonstrating how pervasive, bright, and intrusive artificial light is for migrating birds. The authors also reveal how some birds have learned to use artificial lighting to their advantage.

A chapter on insects clearly explains how artificial light not only attracts nocturnal insects but how it confuses their natural flight patterns and why we see moths swarming around streetlights, porch lights, and other outdoor fixtures. An interesting spread on fireflies goes in depth on how and why they light up, their blinking communication codes, and all the ways artificial disturbs them. Children also learn how light affects bats, small mammals, amphibians, spiders, and even underwater creatures.

It might surprise you that artificial light can even alter the growth and seasonal shifts of trees and plants. From plants’ blooming schedules to pollinator visits to vulnerability to disease and even to the impact on allergies, extended light exposure creates issues that affect us all. In closing, Miserocchi and Michno invite readers to look up at the nighttime sky and contemplate how many stars you can see. They then encourage us to take steps—even small steps—to reducing light pollution around our homes and neighborhoods.

Back matter includes a glossary, simple ideas anyone can do to reduce light pollution, and resources for learning more.

Danio Miserocchi’s and Maciej Michno’s straightforward text is as engaging as it is informative. Not only do readers discover the harmful effects of artificial light pollution in general, but they learn about specific species of insects, birds, and other creatures and the various ways their habits and habitats—altered by light pollution—begin chain reactions with wide-ranging adverse results.

Valentina Gottardi’s luminescent mixed media illustrations transport readers to nighttime landscapes, where her beautiful, nearly photographic images of a wide array of birds, moths and fireflies, bats, geckos and toads, fish and sea turtles will captivate nature lovers. Between chapters, Gottardi’s two-page spreads beckon readers to explore a darkened park dotted with glowing lamps, a city courtyard where street lights and apartment windows glow, and a glitzy boulevard, where the neon glare never sleeps.

Eye-opening science wrapped in nature’s nighttime beauty, Who Hid the Stars?: How Light Pollution Changes Our World is an impactful addition for classrooms, school and public library collections, and for all children interested in the environment and nature.

Ages 8 – 14

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2026 | ISBN 978-0802856517

About the Authors

Danio Miserocchi is a coauthor of The Tomorrow Tree (Phaidon) and Who Hid the Stars? (Eerdmans). He is an Italian naturalist and teacher who works with museums and community organizations on conservation and biodiversity initiatives. Follow her on Instagram @daniomiserocchi.

Maciej Michno is an editor at Cocai Books, which creates educational, scientifically verified books focused on often-overlooked natural subjects. His titles include Who Hid the Stars? (Eerdmans) and The Tomorrow Tree (Phaidon).

About the Illustrator

Valentina Gottardi has pursued her dual passions of art and nature since childhood. At Cocai Books, she serves as artistic director and designer for all projects, including Who Hid the Stars? (Eerdmans), and The Tomorrow Tree (Phaidon). Visit her here.

About the Translator

Sylvia Notini has translated over 200 titles from Italian into English, including Who Hid the Stars? (Eerdmans) and Sea Wonders (Princeton Architectural). Her translation of Just a Girl (HarperCollins) won the 2023 Mildred L. Batchelder Award, and her translation of Chickenology (Princeton Architectural) was a finalist for the AAAS Prize for Excellence in Science Books. Sylvia lives in Castenaso, just outside of Bologna, Italy. Visit her at sylvianotini.com.

International Dark Sky Week Activity

Look deep into the naturally dark night sky over Bryce Canyon National Park as Astronomy Ranger Kelly Ricks talks about the stars, the Milky Way, and the excitement of children seeing it all for the first time!

You can purchase Who Hid the Stars? from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

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