Let me tell you a not so secret secret: I like books. But what is a somewhat secret is that I do not write reviews for all the books I have read. However, I am going to write reviews for the two below (both read via online reader copies)
Family is Family by Melissa Marr and illustrated by Marcos Almada Rivero, due March 2024 While the “all families are different” theme has been done before, this is the first time I have seen it done so the child of the same gendered parents are dealing with things not in a “I feel bad” or “this is wrong” manner but in a questioning and curious manner as a young school age child would deal with it. The main character of the story is a chicken. No, really a feather worm eating chicken. They have two moms, and it’s their first day of school. But when the teacher sends a note to them over the summer saying “Have your mom or dad, or brother or sister walk with you” our young hero does not know what to do. It is a wonderful day of exploration, seeing the alligators and their many many siblings, the bear siblings which are just the two of them, one sister, one mom and one dad, and so on. The ending with “it is a love thing” is a nice touch as is the fact that the child likes his family “as is” but he probably would love it regardless of how it looked because of the “it’s a love thing” attitude. The art is sweet, colorful and detailed. It is busy without being
overwhelming.
Puff: All About Air by Emily Kate Moon and also illustrated by Emily Kate Moon is due mid-March 2024. The two areas that had older information are added in a way that allows them to be skipped if the child is not ready for them, but are there to allow for growth. The story is straight forward, the facts are fun and not “dry” and even an adult can understand and learn! (Picture a smiley face here). The life cycle of a puff of air is followed around the world, into the sky, ocean and even underground. The simple text is detailed enough so you know what is happening, without being overwhelming or too technical. The art is adorably cute, funny, and supports the information without taking away from it. And it could be considered its own character, but a supporting one (remember it is supporting, not the lead). I felt it was clever and even though, yes, there is a smiling air puff called Puff (and all of Puffs friends) that is super-duper cute, it is not sappy. Best for a toddler on up.
