June 30 – Honoring George Washington on America’s 250th Anniversary

About the Holiday

On July 4th America will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776. This foundational document, adopted by delegates to the Continental Congress, summarized the colonists’ motivations for severing their ties with Great Britain to become an independent country. George Washington’s leadership—as a young man, through the war for independence, and as president—set a high standard for future politicians and presidents. Today’s book honors Washington’s legacy.

Thank you to Abrams Books for Young Readers for sending me a copy of this book for review!

George Washington: A Revolutionary Life

By Tim Grove

Absorbing and surprising, George Washington: A Revolutionary Life presents the biography of the man who became America’s first president as well as a look at 18th-century life and social constructs. George Washington looms large over the history of the United States, just as his stature in a crowd commanded attention—George stood 6 feet 2 inches, while the average man was around 5 feet 2 inches. As historian and author Tim Grove eloquently reveals, George Washington influenced much more than our nation’s war for independence and nascent government. He was a savvy experimental farmer, entrepreneur, spy, and leader—and all without formal education past the age of 14.

With a natural curiosity and penchant for continuous education, George leapt at a wide range of opportunities to learn from books and the people he met on his many professional and military excursions. He incorporated all of his experiences, including defeats as well as success, into a world view that informed his opinions on farming and British rule, his actions during wartime, finesse in negotiating, and his leadership in building a new government.

Having inherited farmland from his father at the age of 11 and an estate including Mount Vernon at age 20, following his brother’s death, as well as attaining another vast estate with his marriage to Martha Dandridge Custis at the age of 27, George Washington was an enslaver throughout his life. Grove points to private correspondence in which he expressed his sincere wishes to “see a plan adopted for the abolition of [slavery]” and his freeing of William Lee in his will to demonstrate Washington’s evolving opinion on the inhumanity of slavery. Ultimately, however, Washington bowed to the authority of the Virginia legislature to affect this change.

The stories of enslaved men, women, and children, including Ona Judge, Martha Washington’s personal maid; William Lee, Washington’s valet; and Doll, Mount Vernon’s chief cook, are woven throughout Grove’s narrative in detailed sections, giving readers a view of their lives at Mount Vernon.

Readers also meet and get to know the strong and influential women in Washington’s life, including his mother, Mary Ball Washington; his wife Martha Dandridge Custis Washington; Catharine Macaulay Graham, an “English political thinker”; and Elizabeth Willing Powel, who hosted and participated in political and philosophical discussions among the delegates to the Constitutional Convention at her home.

Tim Grove concludes with examples of George Washington’s continuing legacy that we as a country still celebrate today. Images of maps, paintings, photographs, documents, and other types of primary sources liberally accompany nearly every page, helping readers visualize and understand colonial life. Back matter includes a timeline of George Washington’s life, notes for every chapter with links to online sources, an Author’s Note, and an Index.

Tim Grove’s George Washington: A Revolutionary Life is a thoughtful and thoroughly fascinating biography of George Washington that reveals him as a remarkable and astute man, who with courage and humility united disparate colonies toward one goal while setting America and her system of government apart as an example of what democracy could achieve. Grove’s writing is not just accessible, it is riveting. His engaging text, which flows smoothly and quickly, clearly explains important concepts, connecting the culture of yesteryear and today in ways that readers of all ages can appreciate.

George Washington: A Revolutionary Life is a must for all public and school library collections as well as for classroom history and government classes. History buffs of all ages will find the book an immersive and enlightening reference for home bookshelves as well.

Ages 10 – 14+

Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2026 | ISBN 979-8887076461

About the Author

Historian Tim Grove has written several books for young readers. His book Star-Spangled was named a Best Book of 2020 by Kirkus Reviews and the Chicago Public Library, and First Flight Around the World was a finalist for the American Library Association’s YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction award. He holds a graduate degree in history and an undergraduate degree in journalism. Grove’s career has included positions at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, National Air and Space Museum, and National Museum of American History. Grove lives in Falls Church, Virginia. Visit him at timgrove.net.

About Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon is owned and maintained for the people of the United States by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association of the Union, a private, nonprofit organization (501c3) founded in 1853. At the forefront of the field, the Association is the oldest national historic preservation organization in the country. It is directed by a board of regents, comprised solely of women, who represent nearly 30 states. The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association preserves, restores, and manages the estate of George Washington and educates visitors and people throughout the world about the life and legacies of American’s first president.

You can purchase George Washington: A Revolutionary Life from these booksellers

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Picture Book Review

June 25 – National Day of Joy

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

The National Day of Joy encourages everyone to look for simple moments and expressions of happiness in daily life. Cheerful smiles and greetings, random acts of kindness, upbeat moods, and general positivity can affect not only immediate interactions but our moods and our health. To honor the day and the idea, find ways to start each morning with a positive attitude for the day to come. Need ideas for how to get started? Say “Hello” to those you meet, listen to and encourage others, happily help out where needed, send a surprise letter, card, or text to a friend or family member far away. And, of course, doing something fun with your kids always makes the day better. Today’s book shows how simple pleasures and hard-won accomplishments can bring a special kind of joy to all ages.

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

Robin and the Stick

By E. B. Goodale

“Robin always had a stick.” Sticks were Robin’s go-to for playing, decorating, and general all-around love. It was easy finding sticks—right outside his window, an old tree “rained them down as it blew in the wind.” Every morning as mama lifted Robin into the air, she said, “‘Today you are the biggest you’ve ever been!'” Robin wasn’t sure what she meant. One day when Robin and Mama went for their walk, they encountered “the best stick Robin had ever seen.”

The stick was so large it blocked the sidewalk, and even though Robin tried every way to lift it, this stick didn’t budge. Mama explained that it was a branch—a stick too heavy to pick up. Every day, Robin tried different ways to lift it, but never could. Then one morning the day began as usual, plus “one hundred kisses” from Mama, before they went outside, where the branch still waited. This time Robin put every ounce of strength into the mission and suddenly, Robin was holding it aloft! Robin dragged the branch home, proudly thinking “today I’m the biggest I’ve ever been!” and knowing the perfect way to use this prize.

E. B. Goodale’s debut book in her “Robin’s World” series for the youngest readers is infused with the joy of growing and learning and will make you smile from beginning to end. In her adorably pint-sized book, Goodale plays with notions of change and growth as well as young and old. Robin is shown in various perspectives—small at home and when first encountering the branch to larger closeups of Robin’s day-to-day efforts to lift it. On the day of Robin’s ultimate success, Goodale mirrors the image of Robin’s first sight of the branch, but from the opposite side. Now Robin fills the page, while the branch, shown along the illustration’s narrowing path, appears much smaller than before.

Readers suddenly join Robin in the idea that today may just be the day—and, indeed, it is! As Robin lifts the branch and proudly drags it into the house, adults will appreciate the mother’s comically accepting stance at the door. Goodale’s heartwarming black-and-white monoprint and oil paint illustrations, tapped with red in Robin’s coat and Mama’s uplifting phrase, also highlight concrete moments and Robin’s focused attention.

A joyful book for offering encouragement, celebrating milestones, inspiring imagination, looking back and looking forward, Robin and the Stick is a must for every library collection and a story adults and children will enjoy at home for years. The book makes a wonderful gift for baby showers and new parents. The lack of pronouns makes it a universal story for any child.

Ages 3 – 6

Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2026 | ISBN 978-1419780837

E. B. Goodale can often be found wandering in her local arboretum, looking for the perfect stick. She is the author/illustrator of The Moon Remembers, Also, and Under the Lilacs, and has illustrated many other books for children, including Windows by Julia Denos, and The Bees of Notre-Dame by Meghan P. Browne. She lives with her family under a big old tree in coastal Massachusetts. Visit her at ebgoodale.com.

National Day of Joy Activity

Robin and the Stick Coloring Page

Join Robin for exploration and fun with this coloring page! Parents, caregivers, and teachers can find this activity as well as a video of E. B. Goodale talking about making of Robin’s World on E. B. Goodale’s website.

You can purchase Robin and the Stick from these booksellers

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Picture Book Review

June 24 – It’s Hurricane Season

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

If you live in a coastal area, you’re used to watching for hurricanes during the summer and fall. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, while the Eastern Pacific season begins a month earlier. Meteorologists and wary residents follow these tropical cyclones as they swirl across the ocean, threatening any landmass in their way. To be categorized as a hurricane, the storm must possess sustained winds of or above 74 miles per hour. You can learn more about hurricanes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website. Kids can learn ten facts about hurricanes on the National Geographic Kids website.

Thanks to Abrams Books for Young Readers for sending me a copy of this book for review!

Tajín and the Twelve Thunders: A Pre-Columbian Myth

By Magaly Morales

Tajín was a fun-loving, mischievous boy who wanted nothing more than for the animals to play with him, but even the monkeys, jaguars, and macaws ran away from him. Tajín went to the wise god Quetzalcóatl to ask why no one would play with him. Quetzalcóatl told him that he must learn to be more gentle, and sent him to learn from the Twelve Thunders, saying “‘they bring harsh storms, but they also bring calming rains.'” Tajín walked through the jungle to the Pirámide de los Nichos, the home of the Twelve Thunders.

When Tajín met the Thunders, he discovered that his reputation as a “troublemaker” was well-known, and the Thunders rejected him, despite his offer to cook and clean. At last one of the Thunders convinced the others to give Tajín a chance, and they relented. As he helped with the work, Tajín learned when to be gentle and when more strength was needed.

Then one day it rained, and Tajín knew the Thunderclouds were nearby. He went out to watch and witnessed how the wind swirled with a wave of their capes, how stomping their boots caused ground-shaking thunder, and how brandishing their lightening bolts lit up the sky. When the Thunders returned, Tajín begged them to teach him their art, but they told him he wasn’t ready.

One hot day when he was left alone, Tajín went to the Thunders’ storage chest and gathered boots, a cloak, and a lightning bolt. Tajín danced lightly, and a gentle, cooling rain fell. But then he began dancing wildly, and “the rain raged and the winds swirled.” The trees, lashed and bent, tossed the monkeys from their branches. The oceans rose in enormous, crashing waves. Tajín watched sea creatures playing in the wild waves. “What fun that looks! he thought.” But the Thunders were angry. They ordered Tajín to come down, but he refused and ran away. When the Thunders cleverly caught him, his fortunes were forever changed.

Back matter includes an Author’s Note, in which Magaly Morales reveals her connection to the myth, a short history of the region of El Tajín as well as the meaning of the name “Tajín,” two photographs of the Pirámide de los Nichos (Pyramid of Niches), and a select bibliography.

Magaly Morales hooks children from the start as Tajín’s antics alienate his other would-be playmates, leaving only him and young readers to meet the twelve Thunders and learn Tajín’s fate. Morales immerses kids in the Thunders’ deliberations to let Tajín stay with them and the resulting non-stop action that leads to suspense and a surprise ending. Morales’s distinctive illustrations are prismatic masterpieces, sizzling with the heat of their Mexican setting and the vividness of this child-centric origin story of how the first hurricanes were created. Images of the twelve Thunders at work will wow children as will the lush natural scenery.

Tajín and the Twelve Thunders: A Pre-Columbian Myth is a rousing read-aloud, which could also easily be converted into a play for classroom settings. The story will delight children, and its rambunctious protagonist is sure to guarantee requests for repeat readings. The book is a superb addition for any library collection.

Ages 4 – 8

Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2026 | ISBN 978-1419768859

About the Author

Magaly Morales is the illustrator of several picture books, including What Can You Do with a Paleta?, a Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award winner; The Courage of the Little Hummingbird: A Tale Told Around the World; and Pura’s Cuentos: How Pura Belpré Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories, which received starred reviews in Booklist, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly. Tajín and the Twelve Thunders is Morales’s debut book as both writer and illustrator. She was born and lives in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.

Hurricane Season Activity

Catch the Wind! Windsock Craft

You can feel the wind in your hair and see it blowing through the trees, but can you actually catch it? You can with this easy-to-make windsock!

Supplies

1 large yogurt container (32 oz) or 1-pound deli salad container
1 long-sleeve T-shirt
Strong glue
Dowel, 5/8 diameter x 48-inches long or longer
String
Rubber band
sewing seam ripper or cuticle scissors
X-acto knife or Scissors

Directions

Remove the sleeve from a long-sleeve t-shirt with the seam ripper or scissors
Cut the shoulder off the sleeve by cutting straight across from the underarm seam
Cut 2 inches from the bottom of the yogurt container OR cut the bottom out of the deli container
With the X-acto knife or scissors, make a hole a little smaller than the diameter of the dowel about 1 inch from the rim of the container
Slide the container into the large opening of the sleeve
Fold about a ¾ -inch edge over the rim of the container and attach all along the rim with strong glue
Put the rubber band around the outside edge of the opening
Tie the bottom of the sleeve’s cuff together with the string
To attach the dowel: Option 1: leaving the t-shirt in place, push the dowel and material through the hole in the container. The t-shirt material will hold the dowel in place (I used this option). Option 2: cut a small hole in the t-shirt at the location of the hole in the container. Push the dowel through this hole and the hole in the container. Secure with strong glue
Stick your windsock in the ground in an open area where it can catch the wind. As the wind changes direction, you can turn your windsock so the opening faces the wind.

You can purchase Tajín and the Twelve Thunders: A Pre-Columbian Myth from these booksellers

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Picture Book Review

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

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Picture Book Review

March 20 – International Day of Happiness

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

International Day of Happiness celebrates happiness around the world, supporting this important sense of wellbeing no matter how it is measured. While in its recognition of the holiday, the United Nations focuses on economic, human rights, environmental, peace, and social initiatives, including these 17 Sustainable Development Goals, we are all invited to find happiness in ways that are meaningful to us and spread that joy to others. One way to find lasting peace and happiness is to embrace the connectedness of all things and our place in the world alongside our family and neighbors and within all aspects of nature. Today’s book was written for children, but its message is true and offers happiness for all ages.

Thank you to Abrams Books for Young Readers for sharing a digital copy of this book with me!

The Animals Speak: The Lakota Way / Wamákashkaŋ’iya: Lakhól Wichóh’aŋ Kiŋ

By S. D. Nelson | Translated by Dakota Goodhouse

“If you look with your eyes and listen with your ears, our animal relatives will share their ancient wisdom with you. A spirit line connects us as we journey together.”

With this welcome to explore the world, S. D. Nelson Maȟpíya Kiny’An (Flying Cloud), Hunkpapa Lakota and a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, invites young readers to look to nature and embrace the lessons that “the wild ones”: “the Four-leggeds and the Winged beings of the air . . . the little Creepy-crawlies, the Water-beings, and the Green, Growing Things” have to impart to us “Two-leggeds” from their vast histories and experiences in sharing this world. In Lakota tradition, each member of nature can inspire us every day to live with the curiosity, courage, heart, humor, and values that help us along our life’s journey while connecting us to each other and the environment.

Beginning with “Buffalo Tatánka (tah-TAHN-kah),” that storied animal that once freely roamed the prairies, Nelson writes, “Buffalo is strong. In times past, we used his hide to make our clothes and tipis. Buffalo gave his life and nourished our people. Today, he guides us to SHARE and BE GENEROUS.” With her playfulness, “Otter Ptán (p’TAHN) . . . reminds us that SMILES and LAUGHTER are good for our hearts,” while “Butterfly Kimímela (kee-MEE-may-lah). . . shows us that CHANGE IS GOOD and to open ourselves to NEW WAYS.” Others remind us to keep our wits about us lest we be led astray by tricks or into danger, while still more speak to inspiration, insight, and new perspectives.

Following the story, Nelson reverently and poignantly discusses Lakota traditions and beliefs about the spirit line and the all-encompassing, yet incomprehensible force “Wakán Tánka (wah-KAHN TAHN-kah)—the Great Mystery” that connect humans, animals, plants, and all aspects of nature as we journey together through life.

Nelson accompanies his lyrical text with illustrations of soft mottled and blended natural hues of acrylic paint that, as Nelson explains in his Author’s Note, “. . . are inspired by traditional Lakota pictographs and ledger-book drawings, with their bold use of line, shape, and color. My Indigenous ancestors painted on animal skins, their tipis, their horses, and even their own faces. We still do! These stylized images include natural forms as well as abstract symbols.” Each page invites readers to linger to absorb and talk about all of the stunning imagery.

The Animals Speak is a book that will change the way you look at the world—it’s animals, plants, people, and nature in general. While reading, one can feel—like a hug—the peace of interconnectedness, a happy perspective that can be incorporated into everyday life. This is a book to treasure and is a must for public, school, and classroom libraries as well as home bookshelves. It would also make a wonderful and much-loved gift.

Ages 4 – 8+

Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2026 | ISBN 978-1419764448

S. D. Nelson, Maȟpíya Kiny’An (Flying Cloud), is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in the Dakotas and the author and illustrator of inspiring children’s books that celebrate Lakota and Indigenous cultures. Awards include an American Indian Library Association Honor Book, an ALA Robert F. Sibert Honor, and two Spur Awards from Western Writers of America. His original paintings are held in many national collections, including the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, South Dakota State Historical Society, the Crazy Horse Memorial and State Historical Society of North Dakota. He lives in Cottonwood, Arizona. Visit him to see his many books and his art at sdnelson.net.

International Day of Happiness Activity

CPB - Happiness typography

Happiness Is . . . Game

Happiness is all around you! Grab one or more friends to play a game that reveals what things make you happy. Here are two ways to play and two possible endings for each game. Choose the one that will lead to maximum happiness for all!

Like the “Geography” game: the first player names something that makes them happy, the next player must think of something that starts with the last letter of the word the previous player said. The game continues with each player continuing the pattern. Players drop out as they cannot think of a word. The last player left is the winner. Or set a time frame to play and name no winner.
Within a certain time limit (depending on age), players must think of something that makes them happy. Players drop out if they cannot think of a word within the time limit. The last player left is the winner. Or set a time frame to play and name no winner.

You can purchase The Animals Speak: The Lakota Way / Wamákashkaŋ’iya: Lakhól Wichóh’aŋ Kiŋ from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

November 11 – National Young Readers Week

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Established in 1989 by Pizza Hut and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, National Young Readers Week centers on raising awareness of the importance of reading. One inspiring statistic about the impact of reading is that children learn between 4,000 and 12,000 words each year just by reading—no matter which kinds of books are their favorites! When families get involved in fostering a love of reading at home, kids grow up with an excitement to learn and an activity they can do anywhere and that will follow them throughout their life.

There are many fantastic ways to help your kids develop an affinity for reading, including taking regular trips to your library, allowing kids to pick out their own books, setting aside special times during the day to read together, and setting up a library in your own home to show how important books are to you. You can also follow your favorite authors and illustrators on social media to connect with special activities to download, tutorials, updates on new books, and lots more.

The Bunny Ballet

Written by Nora Ericson | Illustrated by Elly MacKay

As music swells and lights dim, a rabbit invites a sister and her younger brother through a hidden chink in the trees to a watch a bunny ballet, where “Gossamer and / featherlight, / graceful hares / glide left, slide right.” They leap and whirl, plie, jeté, . . . “arabesque, then frisk away.” They weave together then move apart. In the spotlight appears “a sight you’ll not forget: / a perfect bunny pirouette.”

At intermission the audience queues for a Radish Razzle or a Carrot Cordial. So many delicious treats! Soon, the lights begin to flicker, and the show resumes. “Proud bucks swing in barrel turns” then prima ballerinas on tiptoe dance, balanced weightless on upraised paws. One seems to slip, and gasps ring out—the sister grasps her brother’s hand—but then she’s caught in a graceful dip.

This trick may seem to end the show, yet the grand finale is coming up. With the clash of cymbals, the dancers appear from all corners of the stage. They thump and jump and promenade, “spinning in a bunny haze.” All too soon the curtains close, and the sister and brother twirl towards home, dreaming of practicing what they’ve seen tomorrow. But now they can only bid farewell to the Bunny Ballet.

Nora Ericson’s musical lyricism sweeps readers away and into a dream world of ballet with her beautiful language and phrasing that holds readers spellbound with all the sights and sounds of a dance performance. Ericson’s imaginative intermission snacks will delight kids before the pages return to the ballet and the enthralling graceful whirl of its finale. As the moon rises and twilight paints the sky, Ericson’s hypnotic farewell to the evening’s wonders will send children off to sleep with much to dream of.

Ellie MacKay’s glorious illustrations—created by painting, cutting, layering, and photographing the various elements—blend vintage warmth and charm with fresh highlights and detail. Her lush woodland offers a stunning backdrop to these talented bunnies as they jeté, arabesque, and pirouette across the stage. The relationship between the sister and brother is sweetly loving, and as they head home with the rising moon, readers will drift into slumber, carried on MacKay’s soft, tranquil hues.

Ages 4 – 8

Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2025 | ISBN 978-1419776144

About the Author

Nora Ericson studied painting at Yale University and writing for children at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Originally from central New York, she now lives in Portland, Oregon, with two kids, two dogs, and two cats. Besides reading and writing, she loves cooking, tromping in the woods, and whittling spoons while daydreaming of her future miniature donkey farm. She’s also the author of Too Early, Dill & Bizzy: An Odd Duck and a Strange Bird, and Dill & Bizzy: Opposite Day.

About the Illustrator

Elly MacKay is an internationally recognized paper artist and children’s book creator. She is the illustrator of the picture book Too Early and The Enchanted Symphony, written by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton, as well as the author-illustrator of Red Sky at Night, If You Hold a Seed, and Butterfly Park, among others. The distinctive three-dimensional quality in her works is made by setting up layers of painted paper in a miniature theater. She lights the scene and photographs it to create her unique illustrations. MacKay lives in Owen Sound, Ontario, with her family.

You can purchase The Bunny Ballet from these booksellers

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Picture Book Review

September 17 – International Country Music Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

International Country Music Day was established in 2003 with September 17th chosen to honor Hank Williams, one of country music’s most influential artists. The day was created to bring together country music artists and fans from all over the world to celebrate their favorite music genre. To celebrate today, listen to your favorite artists from the past and today! And don’t forget to honor the Grand Ole Opry by adding today’s book to your family’s country music collection!

Howdy! Welcome to the Grand Ole Opry!

Written by Emily Frans | Illustrated by Susanna Chapman | Foreword by Lainey Wilson

Celebrating its 100th anniversary with a buoyant “Howdy!”, the Grand Ole Opry (Opry for short) welcomes readers in for a personal tour of the beloved home of country music, where “history is made and stars are born.” Following their knowledgeable guide through the performers’ entrance, kids first check in with the security guard to get their backstage pass and dressing room number. Passes in hand, kids continue backstage, where they feel the excitement in the air and view pictures of past stars who graced the stage. “Did you know my show started way back in 1925?” The Grand Ole Opry asks.

While looking for their dressing room, children find themselves in the midst of today’s hottest stars all warming up or jamming together before the show. Prepped for their performance, kids stop by the Family Room to wait for their turn on stage. They’re in good company as photos of the “Opry family” surround them, and tonight’s other performers are hanging out there too.

At seven minutes to showtime, kids meet the band in the rehearsal space. Five minutes to showtime, and kids are heading for the stage, where the crew is making last-minute adjustments. Nearby, “musicians and performers stand by waiting for their cue to walk on stage” while the Opry Square Dancers warm up on the sidelines.

Thirty seconds to showtime! Almost time for readers to stand center stage in the storied circle of wood cut from the Ryman Auditorium, country music’s original home. The countdown begins, and the Opry is there with encouragement. “10, 9, 8 . . . Take a deep breath . . . 7, 6, 5 . . . Don’t be nervous, you’ve got this! . . . 4, 3, 2, 1 . . . The curtain is coming up and the band is kicking off your song! Here we go!”

The reader is met with thunderous applause as the drums beat and the bass thrums. Energy and love surround them! The Opry is full of congratulations—”You did it! You made your Opry debut!” And encouragement: “Wasn’t it fun imagining what it would be like to perform on country music’s most famous stage? If you work hard and dream big enough, anything is possible!”

A brief history of the Grand Ole Opry, plus memories from Lauren Alaina, Kelsea Ballerini, Scotty McCreery, and Dolly Parton about their Opry debut follow the story.

The excitement inside the Grand Ole Opry is palpable in Emily Frans’ welcoming introduction to this historic venue, beloved by country music fans everywhere. Whether readers simply adore listening to country music or have the big stage in their sights, they’ll be enthralled with Frans’ personal, direct-address storytelling that makes them feel like one of the Opry family.

As raucous and inviting as the Grand Ole Opry itself, Susanna Chapman’s visually remarkable and whimsical collage-style illustrations are sure to have children and adults starstruck with the abundance of photographs of their favorite performers playing and singing. Fans of a certain age will be cheered to once again see Minnie Pearl with her signature “How-Dee!!!”, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, Roy Acuff, Charlie Pride, Little Jimmy Dickens, Patsy Cline, and Deford Bailey, among others. Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker, Loretta Lynn, and others are also here, while the younger generation will be wowed by Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, Lady A, Carrie Underwood, Scotty McCreery, Chapel Hart, Post Malone, and more. And, of course, the ageless Dolly Parton is celebrated throughout.

Inspiration and aspiration meet history and tradition in Howdy! Welcome to the Grand Ole Opry!, an extraordinary tribute to this one-of-a-kind music venue and it’s stars on its 100th anniversary. The book is a must for country music fans as well as for all library collections.

Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2025 | ISBN 978-1419774249

About the Illustrator

Susanna Chapman is an illustrator, muralist, and designer. Her illustrated picture books include Covered in Color: Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Fabrics of Freedom; Elizabeth Warren’s Big, Bold Plans; The Girl Who Ran; and Ada and the Galaxies. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Visit her at susannachapman.com.

You can purchase Howdy! Welcome to the Grand Ole Opry! from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

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