BEST MOTHER’S DAY BOOKS 2024 ∼ A ROUNDUP ∼       I REALLY LIKE MOM Written by Su-an Lee Illustrated by So-ra Kim Translated by Paige Morris (Abrams BYR; $15.99, Ages 4-8) “With a sweet, universal message and charming illustrations full of irresistibly cute animals, author Su-an Lee and illustrator So-ra Kim’s picture book I Really Like Mom is a loving tribute to moms everywhere.” Translated from Korean, this upbeat picture book featuring many different animal mom and child pairs will make young readers feel good all over. “I really like Mom,” is repeated throughou ..read more

  TWO NEW YEARS Written by Richard Ho Illustrated by Lynn Scurfield (Chronicle Books; $18.99, Ages 3-5)       Reading Two New Years written by Richard Ho and illustrated by Lynn Scurfield, reminds me of how wonderful it is to find similarities in cultures while also celebrating the differences. Ho draws from his personal life to imbue this heartwarming Rosh Hashanah and Lunar New Year story with meaning while also making it accessible to anyone, whether or not they are Jewish or Chinese like the family we meet here.   Interior illustrations from Two New Years written ..read more

  MAMA SHAMSI AT THE BAZAAR Written by Mojdeh Hassani and Samira Iravani  Illustrated by Maya Fidawi (Dial BYR; $18.99, Ages 4-8)       Written by mother-daughter duo Mojdeh Hassani and Samira Iravani and illustrated by Maya Fidawi, Mama Shamsi At The Bazaar shares the loving bond between grandmother and granddaughter as they venture out to share a new experience together.   Interior spread from Mama Shamsi at the Bazaar written by Mojdeh Hassani and Samira Iravani, and illustrated by Maya Fidawi, Dial Books for Young Readers ©2023.   Getting ready to go to ..read more

WHAT’S YOUR NAME? Written and illustrated by Bethanie Deeney Murguia (Candlewick Press; $18.99; Ages 3-7)       ★Starred Reviews – Kirkus, Publishers Weekly When author-illustrator Bethanie Deeney Murguia discovered her parents almost chose another name for her it got her thinking about the importance of names and what they do, and the idea for What’s Your Name? was created.   WHAT’S YOUR NAME? Text and illustrations copyright © 2022 by Bethanie Deeney Murguia. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.   This relatable and diverse pic ..read more

SEVEN GOOD YEARS: A YIDDISH FOLKTALE Written by Shoham Smith Illustrated by Eitan Eloa Translated by Ilana Kurshan (Kalaniot Books; $19.99, Ages 4-8) e e e e e e Based on a story from the early 1900s by I. L. Peretz, this thought-provoking Jewish folktale presents the story of Tuvia, a poor hard-working man, living in a ramshackle hut with his children and wife Sorka when a magical older man offers him a fortune for seven years. How can he pass that up? e This terrific retelling of Seven Good Years A Yiddish Folktale, written by Shoham Smith, illustrated by Eitan Eloa and seamlessly translate ..read more

AN INTERVIEW WITH CHARLOTTE CHENG AUTHOR OF NIGHT MARKET RESCUE ILLUSTRATED BY AMBER REN (ROCKY POND BOOKS; $18.99, AGES 4-7)       INTRO: Charlotte Cheng is the author of NIGHT MARKET RESCUE [Rocky Pond Books], illustrated by Amber Ren. Her picture book was released to the world on May 2, 2023. In this interview conducted by Maria Wen Adcock, author of IT’S CHINESE NEW YEAR, CURIOUS GEORGE and founder of the parenting blog BiculturalMama.com, Charlotte discusses her inspiration for the book, Taiwanese traditions, and more. INTERVIEW: Maria Wen Adcock: What inspired you to wri ..read more

    AN INTERVIEW WITH DARSHANA KHIANI ABOUT HER NEW PICTURE BOOK I’M AN AMERICAN ILLUSTRATED BY LAURA FREEMAN (Viking BYR; $19.99, Ages 4-8)         PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: What does it mean to be American?eA classroom of children across many races, cultures, and origins explores the concept of Americanness as they each share bits of their family history and how their past has shaped their own personal American experience. Whether as new immigrants, or those whose family came to this country generations ago, or other scenarios, these children’s stories show some of ..read more

AMAH FARAWAY Written by Margaret Chiu Greanias  Illustrated by Tracy Subisak  (Bloomsbury Children’s Books; $18.99, Ages 4-8)     ★Starred Reviews – School Library Journal, Shelf Awareness   Cultural connections, intergenerational love, and adventure-seeking await readers in author Margaret Chiu Greanias and illustrator Tracy Subisak’s touching Amah Faraway.  Since “[v]ideo chats [aren’t] the same as real life,” Kylie is nervous about visiting her Amah who lives so far away in Taipei, despite their weekly time together online. Once they arrive, Amah encourages Ky ..read more

  MAMA SHAMSI AT THE BAZAAR Written by Mojdeh Hassani and Samira Iravani  Illustrated by Maya Fidawi (Dial BYR; $18.99, Ages 4-8)       Written by mother-daughter duo Mojdeh Hassani and Samira Iravani and illustrated by Maya Fidawi, Mama Shamsi At The Bazaar shares the loving bond between grandmother and granddaughter as they venture out to share a new experience together.   Interior spread from Mama Shamsi at the Bazaar written by Mojdeh Hassani and Samira Iravani, and illustrated by Maya Fidawi, Dial Books for Young Readers ©2023.   Getting ready to go to ..read more

  TWO NEW YEARS Written by Richard Ho Illustrated by Lynn Scurfield (Chronicle Books; $18.99, Ages 3-5)       Reading Two New Years written by Richard Ho and illustrated by Lynn Scurfield, reminds me of how wonderful it is to find similarities in cultures while also celebrating the differences. Ho draws from his personal life to imbue this heartwarming Rosh Hashanah and Lunar New Year story with meaning while also making it accessible to anyone, whether or not they are Jewish or Chinese like the family we meet here.   Interior illustrations from Two New Years written ..read more