Hey there kidlit friends! I hope you’re managing to keep cool in this brutal heat; well, brutal here in Tennessee. I look like I’ve gone swimming every time I leave the house. This week has seen two new developments on the parenting front: my daughter has started reading books, and she’s also amped up her practical jokes. I blame my partner’s genes for the latter and take credit for the former.
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Bookish Goods
Raised by Reading Shirt by BeautyBalanceApparel
These cute shirts come in a variety of children’s and adult sizes and styles. $8.50+
New Releases
Berry Song by Michaela Goade
I jumped for joy when this gorgeous picture book by the illustrator of We Are Water Protectors came in the mail. Goede is a member of the Raven moiety and Kiks.ádi clan, and in this picture book, an indigenous girl and her grandmother gather food in every season. After reading this, I took my daughter to a blueberry farm to go berry picking. It’s a lyrical and lovely celebration of nature and the bond between grandmothers and grandchildren.
Everything in Its Place by Pauline David-Sax, illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow
I requested this picture book based on the intriguing collage cover art, and it exceeded my expectations. Nicky is shy and would rather spend her time in the library helping the librarian reshelve books than at recess with her peers. However, the library will be closed for a week for renovations, and Nicky will be forced to go outside for recess instead of hiding in the library. She finds courage from an unusual source: from a group of lady bikers at her mother’s diner. One biker, a regular, reads poetry and lends Nicky her wisdom and a Mary Oliver book. The next day at recess, Nicky brings the Mary Oliver book, and it’s through poetry that she makes her first friend. This is a lovely and surprisingly sophisticated picture book that will speak just as much to adult readers as it will to children (but it’s still very child-friendly).
For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Last week I recommended four children’s books centering disabled joy for Disability Pride Month, and this week I wanted to recommend four more disability-themed children’s books. This time I wanted to highlight books that make excellent introductions to the disabled experience. I’ve noticed that many people like to read Just Ask! by Sonia Sotomayor as an introductory disability text for kids and, while I have complete respect for both the author and illustrator, and I know the book is well-intentioned, it is problematic in many ways, and criticized by many in the disabled community, including myself. It actually isn’t a good idea to teach children to “just ask” someone about their personal medical histories, which can sometimes be traumatic, embarrassing, or just frankly no one’s business. Disabled people are constantly asked to explain and justify their lived experiences. So I wanted to give some other options to start conversations about disability and what it means to be disabled.
What Happened to You? by James Catchpole, illustrated by Karen George
This playful picture book is in direct contrast to Just Ask!. Joe wants to play pirates at the playground, but instead of playing with him, kids keep asking him what happened to his leg, and they won’t stop asking. When they finally do decide to play with him, they all have fun. It turns out it doesn’t really matter why Joe has one leg. What really matters is how much fun it is to be friends. Author James Catchpole, who is also a leg amputee, provides a helpful guide to caregivers in the back about how to respond when their curious children do ask disabled folk, “What happened?”
A Kids Book about Disabilities by Kristine Napper
Disabled author and educator Kristine Napper provides an excellent conversation starter in this intriguingly formatted children’s book. Instead of traditional illustrations, the book uses neat typography and graphic design. The text is an extremely informative and straightforward guide to disability, from basic facts like how many people are disabled, to how to talk to disabled people, to ableism and discrimination disabled folk experience. Napper writes very personally and it feels like a conversation.
We Want to Go to School!: The Fight for Disability Rights by Maryann Cocca-Leffler & Janine Leffler
This nonfiction picture book chronicles the Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia 1971 case, where the court ruled that schools had to allow and provide accommodations for disabled students. It’s a landmark case in disability history, and the child-friendly illustrations and accessible text make it a great introduction to some of the discrimination disabled people have experienced. It shows how disabled kids can make things change.
I Am Not a Label by Cerrie Burnell, illustrated by Lauren Mark Baldo
This illustrated anthology of biographies about 34 major disabled historical figures is a must for upper elementary and middle school students. The mini bios examine an array of people and their disabilities, from Frida Kahlo to Peter Dinklage to Arunima Sinha. The contemporary illustrations are lovely.
We picked possibly the most humid day of the year to go blueberry picking at a nearby farm, and despite the beautiful blue sky in this picture, it stormed terribly all the way home. However, it was worth it. This was my first time blueberry picking, and I have to say, the blueberries were so much more delicious than the ones at the store, and they last a lot longer!
If you’d like to read more of my kidlit reviews, I’m on Instagram @BabyLibrarians, Twitter @AReaderlyMom, and blog irregularly at Baby Librarians. You can also read my Book Riot posts. If you’d like to drop me a line, my email is kingsbury.margaret@gmail.com.
Until next Tuesday!
Margaret Kingsbury