Paging Through Picture Books: New and Forthcoming Titles

Here are some of the new and soon-to-be-published picture books I've been reading thanks to Edelweiss (*) and Candlewick (**). 

• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, I Know Exactly What You Are by Julia Kregenow, illustrated by Carmen Saldana (9/4/18)*
  The text of this book provides lots of scientific information about stars, all set to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." Though the rhyme scheme and rhythm works well, and the information is interesting, I think the meaning of the text is drowned out by the gimmick of the song. When I finished the book, I had the tune stuck in my head but couldn't really remember most of the facts that had been presented. The scientific details require more attention than simply singing through the book allows. That said, the illustrations are gorgeous, and I think it's a good book for introducing the scientific concepts as long as it also supplemented by other texts.
• The Stuff of Stars by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Ekua Holmes (9/4/18)**
  This poetic and visually explosive picture book describes the big bang in lyrical text that captures the beauty and drama of the beginning of the universe. My almost-five-year-old was fascinated by the illustrations and though the book does not mention religion at all, she immediately attributed the images she saw to God, which made me feel good about her understanding of the relationship between faith and science. This book makes the abstract concept of how the universe came into being into something relatable, dynamic, and awe-inspiring. 
• Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise by David Ezra Stein (9/11/18)**
  In this sequel to Interrupting Chicken,  Chicken comes home from school with instructions from her teacher to find the elephant of surprise in every story she reads. Her dad tries to explain that her teacher is talking about the element of surprise, but Chicken is determined to write elephants into every story instead. Though the artwork is just as great in this book as it was in the first, there is little more to the text than this one joke, which is pretty well played out before the story is half over. I expected more from this book. 
• Night Job by Karen Hesse, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (9/11/18)**
  This is a nice slice of life story about a boy who goes to work at night with his janitor father. The writing is poetic and the illustrations capture the warmth and humor of the characters' relationship. The story taps into two ideas kids are fascinated by - what happens at night and what their parents do at work. Though this is a quieter book with a subdued color scheme, it appealed strongly to my almost-three-year-old and my almost-five-year-old. 
• Leo Gets a Checkup by Anna McQuinn, illustrated by Ruth Hearson (9/11/18)*
  Geared toward toddlers, this is a pretty straightforward book about going to the doctor's office. It includes some details that champion particular causes (the doctor gives Leo a free book, and a mom is nursing in the waiting room) but otherwise, it's pretty much like every other book of this type. 

• Liza Jane and the Dragon by Laura Lippman, illustrated by Kate Samworth (10/2/18)*When Liza Jane fires her parents and hires a dragon to take their place, she encounters a variety of problems, chief of which is the dragon's desire to set on fire everything that bothers, annoys, or makes life difficult for Liza Jane. While the thought of being fired doesn't thrill me as a parent, I think there is value in books that allow kids to imagine the logical conclusions to some of their fantasies. This book also reminded me a lot of Princess Cora and the Crocodile, which I love.
• You Can Be by Elise Gravel (10/9/18)*
  I enjoyed the cartoonish illustrations in this simple book which celebrates kids' freedom to be whoever they want to be and to feel however they'd like to feel. Because there is minimal text and the illustrations are more humorous, this book doesn't feel as preachy as What If? (see below) even though the subject matter is essentially the same. There is a bit of bathroom humor on the page for "Smelly" but otherwise I wouldn't have a problem sharing this book with my girls.
• What If?: What Makes You Different Makes You Amazing! by Sandra Magsamen (2/1/19)*
  This is a saccharine and preachy book about celebrating one's uniqueness. It panders shamelessly to the push for more diverse books but offers nothing of real substance. In my experience, kids think of themselves as pretty great; adults are the ones who suggest it might be otherwise by writing books like this. 
• The Smallest Elephant in the World by Alvin Tresselt, illustrated by Milton Glaser (2/19/19)*
  This is a reprint of a sweet vintage book from 1959 about an elephant the size of a house cat who disguises himself as a cat and attempts to live among a family. The red, black, and green illustrations are charming and the story is just the right mix of humor and imagination.