Happy Tuesday, kidlit friends! If you read Sunday’s newsletter, you know that Karina is stepping away from the newsletter and I will now be writing both the Tuesday and Sunday sends. I have loved working with her on the newsletter. While sad, I know I’m not the only one who can’t wait to read her future books. And I have plenty of book recommendations up my sleeve. In fact, I have an eight-page Google Doc with future list ideas, but if you are in need of a recommendation around a specific theme, feel free to email me. My email is at the end of the newsletter.
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Bookish Goods
Reading T-Shirt by OgokiWild
I love this retro-style T-shirt, and if you want to support Indigenous creators for Native American Heritage Month, you should check out this account!
New Releases
What’s in a Dumpling, Grandma? by Linda Meeker, illustrated by Sandra Eide
I love how many great dumpling picture books there are. This one is a sweet intergenerational story about Grey and his cousin Mila learning to cook bánh loc, Vietnamese dumplings, from their Ngoại. While the three cook together, Ngoại tells them of her childhood in Vietnam and how she learned to cook the dumplings from her Ngoại and brought the recipe with her when she immigrated to America. Recipes are included!
Drag and Rex 1: Forever Friends by Susan Lubner, illustrated by Blythe Russo
This first book in a new chapter book series has very short chapters, so it’s great for kids transitioning into chapter books. Drag and Rex are opposites but still best friends. In a series of stories, they bake a cake, make a snowbear, and read stories together. Sometimes, things don’t go as planned, but they always have each other to rely on. The book takes place during winter, so it’s also a great one to pull out during snowy weather.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
November is Native American Heritage Month. A lot of excellent Indigenous and Native American children’s books have been published this year. Here are a few I love.
Heart Berry Bling by Jenny Kay Dupuis, illustrated by Eva Campbell
Maggie is visiting Granny in the city, and for the first time, Granny agrees to teach her how to bead. As Granny teaches her, she talks about her history, how she lost her First Nations status as an Anishinaabe woman when she married a man who wasn’t First Nations, how her Auntie Jeannie taught her how to bead, and the meaning behind heart berries. It’s a lovely, warm picture book. The author includes a note about what inspired the story and more details about some of the history the grandmother mentions.
Grand Chief Salamoo Cook Is Coming to Town! by Tomson Highway, illustrated by Delphine Renon, narrated by Jimmy Blais
This is a super cool musical book that relates a Cree folktale and includes eight Cree songs. It includes a Cree glossary in the back. The story is about a young rabbit who runs to tell his village that Grand Chief Salamoo Cook is heading their way and will host a contest to win the waaskee-choos juice. The publisher, The Secret Mountain, specializes in children’s books that share music from all over the world. Tomson Highway is a Cree author and playwright.
It’s Her Story: Sacajawea by Randy’l He-Dow Teton, illustrated by Aly McKnight
This is a short, nonfiction graphic novel for elementary school readers about Sacajawea. I was a little nervous about reading this because so many portrayals of Sacajawea are problematic, but I find this one to be both nuanced and accessible. It opens with Sacajawea thanking the water, then being taken from her Shoshone tribe by raiding members of a different tribe. She spoke multiple languages, which is why Lewis and Clark wanted to take her on their expedition, even though she was pregnant. The author, who is a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall, Idaho, was the model for the U.S. coin Sacajawea appears on. The illustrator is also Shoshone. There’s lots of room to continue the conversation surrounding Indigenous genocide and colonization while reading this, depending on the age of the child.
Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Bridget George
This picture book is lyrically narrated by water, nibi. Nibi remembers how the Anishinaabe honored and cherished it, but as time passed, fewer and fewer people respected it. Then Grandma Josephine came along and advocated for water. She taught the younger generation, including her great-niece Autumn Peltier, about the importance of water and how to honor it. Autumn became an activist at the age of 12, confronting the Canadian government about poor water conditions. Back matter includes more information about Autumn Peltier and Josephine Henrietta Mandamin. This is an excellent book to accompany We Are Water Protectors.
I don’t go to Target often, but we needed to pick up some Halloween supplies and made a quick stop last week. Of course I took a peek at the books, and I was impressed by how diverse their picture book section was, especially considering how small it was.
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.
All the best,
Margaret Kingsbury