APRIL IS NATIONAL POETRY MONTH SO …  IT’S TIME FOR POETRY COMICS Written and illustrated by Grant Snider (Chronicle Kids; $18.99, Ages 8-12)         ★ Starred Reviews – Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly   Reading a well-crafted poem always fills me with awe. I wonder how the poet made it look so easy. The words flow magically on the page yet I know the great skill involved in composing one. That describes my first impressions of this middle-grade graphic novel. Add to that the joyful comic-style artwork and you’ve got the winning Poetry Comics by Gran ..read more

    NEW CHILDREN’S PASSOVER BOOKS     AFIKOMAN, WHERE’D YOU GO?: A Passover Hide-and-Seek AdventureWritten by Rebecca Gardyn Levington Illustrated by Noa Kelner (Rocky Pond Books; $18.99, Ages 4-8)eThere’s a mischievous personified piece of matzoh on the loose in the pages of Afikoman, Where’d You Go? and I got such a kick out of looking for him. Your kids will too! This picture book is not only written in well-crafted rhyme, it’s also relatable to anyone who’s ever attended a Seder, Jewish or not. eAt the Passover seder, youngsters are always eager to start the traditiona ..read more

  LOVE GROWS HERE Written by Chloe Ito Ward Illustrated by Violet Kim (Albert Whitman & Company; $18.99, Ages 4-8)         Shopping in an outdoor market with her grandmother, Obā, Aiko immerses herself in the tastes, sights, smells, and sounds of her surroundings. Ward’s economy of “warm and welcoming” words paints a bustling scene full of joy, excitement, and love—that is until a hurtful encounter with a stranger changes everything. His racist words “sharp like scissors, cut,” causing Aiko to feel confused, afraid, and heartbroken.    Interior art from ..read more

    A PLACE FOR RAIN Written by Michelle Schaub Illustrated by Blanca Gómez (Norton Young Readers; $18.99; Ages 4-8)         From the Publisher: “A spring storm brings the chance to build a rain garden in this charming, actionable picture book about protecting our waterways.” From Publishers Weekly: “An upbeat problem-solving story…”     With rhyming verse and bright, colorful illustrations, Michelle Schaub and Blanca Gómez tell an upbeat story of rain   Interior spread from A Place for Rain written by Michelle Schaub and illustrated by Blanca Góme ..read more

EID AL-FITR PICTURE BOOKS       NOURA’S CRESCENT MOON Written by Zainab Khan Illustrated by Nabila Adani (Candlewick Press; $18.99, Ages 4-8) ★Starred Review – Kirkus In Zainab Khan’s picture book debut, readers meet Noura as Ramadan, a lunar holiday observed by Muslims, is ending. As the story begins she’s eager to see the Eid moon. Her father explains that in “… all the years I went with my parents to find the new moon, I only saw it once: a tiny sliver.” Readers soon see the beautiful dress Noura’s mother has made for Eid (the end of Ramadan) prayer and also find out that “R ..read more

   PIZZA, PICKLES, AND APPLE PIE:  The Stories Behind the Foods We Love Written and illustrated by David Rickert (Kane Press; $19.99, Ages 8-12)         Though the title, Pizza, Pickles, and Apple Pie: The Stories Behind the Foods We Love, is somewhat serious-sounding, you can tell from the silly antics on the cover that this book is going to be a lot of fun. Beginning with breakfast, we take a trip through time and around the world discovering facts about kid-approved foods from waffles to apple pie. e Interior illustrations from Pizza, Pickles, and Apple P ..read more

      I AM NOT THE EASTER BUNNY! Written and illustrated by T. L. McBeth (Flamingo Books; $12.99, Ages 3-7)       Sometimes kids (and parents) want to read something laugh-out-loud funny at Easter and I am Not the Easter Bunny! fits the bill. Written and illustrated by T. L. McBeth, this delightful picture book features a narrator in conversation with the titular main character who, as we read on, is doing everything in his power to convince the narrator that he is NOT the Easter Bunny. “It’s just that it would be SO EXCITING to meet the actual Easter Bunny, you ..read more

    CHEF EDNA: Queen of Southern Cooking, Edna Lewis Written by Melvina Noel Illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera (Cameron Kids; $18.99, Ages 4-8)       This mouthwatering, treat of a book introduces readers to Edna Regina Lewis, with illustrations that pair deliciously with the prose. I was ready to book a trip to the South to sample all the tasty cuisine mentioned in Chef Edna written by Melvina Noel and illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera. Just look at that inviting cover! It speaks to exactly what this picture book is all about.   Interior spread from Chef Edna: Queen ..read more

  LOOKING FOR HAPPY Written by Ty Chapman Illustrated by Keenon Ferrell (Beaming Books; $18.99; Ages 5-8)       Author Ty Chapman says, “Some days, Happy is hard to find,” and that’s the theme in Looking For Happy, a heartfelt picture book about a Black child who is usually happy but on this day he struggles to shake the blues. Digital animator and illustrator Keenon Ferrell introduces the story with a vibrant blue visible outside the window beside a smiling boy listening to music and dancing. He’s happy at this moment in time. But the next page depicts a new day, and the ..read more

KATRINA TANGEN INTERVIEWS NORA NICKUM, AUTHOR OF THIS BOOK IS FULL OF HOLES Illustrated by Robert Meganck (Peachtree; $18.99, Ages 6-9)     ★Starred Review – Kirkus Reviews PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: This book is chock full of holes—shallow and miles deep, microscopic and visible from space, human-caused and natural, mysterious and maddeningly familiar. When you think of holes, what comes to mind? Maybe the irritating hole in your sock. Or the hole on the shelf where you plucked out this book. But did you know there are holes that suddenly devour entire gas stations? Big holes in the oc ..read more