Category Archives: Pre-K

Where She Started: A Review of Janie Writes a Play 

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Janie Writes a Play: Jane Yolen’s First Great Story 
Written by Heidi E. Y. Stemple 
Illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight 
Published by Charlesbridge 
Ages 5-8 
Available February 11, 2025 

Janie loves great stories of all forms. Constantly creating stories in her head, she loves writing down her ideas. With rehearsals about to start for her class play, Janie can’t wait to learn the story and get her part. Unfortunately, when she reads the script, she’s disappointed by its lack of a “rising plot or big moment” (p. 21), and she finds the ending unsatisfying. Later, in ballet class, Janie is disheartened by the lackluster story, but the satisfying ending of her class’s dance routine inspires her to write her own script. After a long night of writing and rewriting, Janie turns in her story to her teacher, Mrs. Jiler. She agrees to use the new play and hands out new roles. In the end, the success of her play inspires Janie to keep writing and ultimately become the beloved children’s author, Jane Yolen. 

In this imaginative picture book, Heidi E. Y. Stemple, Jane Yolen’s daughter, pays loving tribute to the story of her mother’s first story. Writing about young Janie’s constantly soaring imagination, Stemple shows an appreciation for Yolen’s artistry in a manner that encourages readers to foster their own creativity. Stemple shares some insight into Yolen’s creative process, like how she would learn new words by reading books that were above her reading level. At the end, Stemple includes a brief passage about her mother’s life and work, as well as photographs of Yolen and her family growing up. Madelyn Goodnight’s bright, full-color illustrations bring whimsy to Janie’s world by showcasing her strong imagination. One side of a spread shows a regular scene at the park, with people picnicking and flying kites. On the opposite side, Goodnight illustrates what Janie sees: swashbuckling pirates and tutu-clad dinosaurs throwing tantrums. Many of the illustrations are touching references to Yolen’s large body of work. Janie Writes a Play is a delightfully fun story that encourages creativity and curiosity and serves as an amusing resource for information on a beloved children’s author that can aid in a lesson about storytelling or a program featuring Yolen’s books. 

Butler Bookshelf

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This week’s Butler Bookshelf is all about new fiction titles in our collection! These titles feature animal adventures, a school for time travelers, and dragons in London for readers of all ages. The featured title this week is Time Out! (Addy McBean) by Margery Cuyler and illustrated by Stacy Curtis. In this chapter book for beginning readers, math-loving Addy McBean learns how to tell time on analog clocks and how to set an alarm. Along the way, she and her best friend, Star, become convinced that their teacher, Mr. Vertex, is getting married. Working tirelessly to look for clues, they accidentally spread the rumor to their class. In addition to learning the fun of telling time, Addy learns the importance of using facts to make a decision instead of assumptions. Curtis uses quirky digital illustrations to accompany Addy’s adventures, and Cuyler includes a character glossary and a word list to help young readers remember characters and learn new terms.

Check out more fiction below!

The Doomsday Vault (Everwhen School of Time Travel (and Other Odd Sciences) 1)
Written by Thomas Wheeler
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available now

A Language of Dragons
Written by S.F. Williamson
Published by Harper
Available now

Little Head, Little Nose
Written by Yuli Yav
Illustrated by Antonia Woodward
Published by LITTLE SIMON
Available now

Time Out! (Addy McBean)
Written by Margery Cuyler
Illustrated by Stacy Curtis
Published by Aladdin Quix
Available now

A Wolf Called Fire
Written by Rosanne Parry
Published by Greenwillow Books
Available now

To Hug or Not to Hug: A review of Hugs Are (Not) for Everybody!

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Hugs Are (Not) for Everybody!
Ella Russell
Illustrated by Udayana Lugo
Owlkids Books
March 18, 2025
Age 3-7

At a magic birthday party full of both cuddlers and the squeeze-averse, an enthusiastic young guest learns that not everyone is comfortable with hugs in the same way. Hugs are for hello and goodbye. Hugs are for celebrations and congratulations. Though hugs are not always welcome. Some prefer a wave, a high five, or a bum-shaking secret handshake. As the party continues, she learns that all she has to do is ask to make everyone feel safe.

Russell gently explores boundaries and respect in this sweet and simple picture book for pre-school to early elementary years that reunites the cast from Pink is For Everybody! She centers themes of consent and body autonomy in a comfortably familiar setting, with characters in non-threatening scenarios, like arriving at a friend’s home and wishing happy birthday. Lugo amplifies the theme of individual preferences with a cast of diverse backgrounds and personalities, and a variety of layout styles showcasing different types of engagement. Her engaging watercolors, candy-hued palette, and expressive faces capture both the joy of the party and the anxiety of some partygoers. Instances of onomatopoeia and clearly delineated dialog lend themselves to exuberant storytime inclusion and will make the shiest kids feel seen.

A wholesome tale of consent that makes introducing this often sensitive topic a piece of (birthday) cake.

Butler Bookshelf

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For this week’s Butler Bookshelf, we’re highlighting a variety of youth literature in our collection. This list has something for all ages, fiction, nonfiction, and bilingual! The featured book for this week is Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea written by Andrew Hacket and illustrated by Kaz Windness. Ollie is tired of dealing with Everett’s constant bullying. One day, when Everett steals a sapling from Ollie, he has an idea — he will eat an acorn and grow into a mighty tree so that Everett will never be able to bully him again. But when Ollie becomes tall and strong and stands up to Everett once and for all, he realizes that he went about it all wrong. He burps everything up, and Ollie and Everett reconcile and start growing their gardens together. Windness’s colorful, lively illustrations compliment Hacket’s lively and expressive story about how to stand up for yourself and what it truly means to be mighty.

Check out more books for all ages below!

The Flower Shop/La Florería
Written by Lourdes Heuer
Illustrated by Zara González Hoang
Published by Candlewick Press
Available now!

Love Is Hard Work: The Art and Heart of Corita Kent
Written by Dan Paley
Illustrated by Victoria Tentler-Krylov
Published by Candlewick Press
Available now!

My Father’s House
Written by Mina Javaherbin
Illustrated by Lindsey Yankey
Published by Candlewick Press
Available now!

Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea
Written by Andrew Hacket
Illustrated by Kaz Windness
Published by Page Street Kids
Available now!

Paige Proves It!: The Curious Cove
Written and illustrated by Amy Marie Stadelmann
Published by Aladdin
Available now!

Zodiac Rising
Written by Katie Zhao
Published by Random House Children’s Books
Available now!

Winter Teamwork: A Review of In the Winter Woods by Daniela Kulot 

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In the Winter Woods 
Written and illustrated by Daniela Kulot 
Translated by Elisabeth Lauffer 
Charlesbridge 
Ages 3-7 
Available October 15, 2024 

It’s the middle of a cold winter, and Fox, Mouse, and Crow are all hungry, but they can’t find even a morsel to eat. Squirrel is hungry, too, but he has a secret stash of snacks hidden away that he can’t wait to enjoy. When Fox, Mouse, and Crow ask Squirrel to share, he says no. After hours of searching, he realizes that he forgot where his stash was hidden. He asks Fox, Mouse, and Crow for help in exchange for sharing his food. Soon, they find Squirrel’s food and feast together! 

With these woodland creatures, Kulot tells a story of friendship and community, showing the importance of working together and sharing with others. Although the message has been repeated before, Kulot brings charm to the basic “sharing is caring” theme with her woodland creatures and winter landscape. The illustrations are done in digital media, and the animals have a cute, slightly cartoonish look with beautiful backdrops of winter in the countryside. Kulot uses muted blues, browns, oranges, and greens to create the cold, barren atmosphere. These delightful illustrations complement the text, where Kulot uses devices like alliteration and rhyming to add a sing-song-like quality, bringing levity to what could otherwise be a dire situation. With its beautiful art and thoughtful message, In the Winter Woods would be a great addition to libraries and classrooms looking to do a program or lesson on winter or social-emotional learning.  

Butler Bookshelf

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Diverse stories are an important part of literature for all ages, especially for kids. October is Global Diversity Month, so this week’s Butler Bookshelf highlights some fiction and nonfiction books from authors around the world. One of these books is Look! Look! written by Uma Krishnaswami and illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy. Krishnaswami tells the story of a young Indian girl discovers a slab of stone in the weeds, and she calls her friends to come and take a look. They work together to clean the weeds, garbage, and other stones up. Soon, more and more people from their village and other villages nearby help them uncover an old step well. Once the well is cleaned up, rain fills the well, and the previously dry and dusty land comes back to life as plants begin growing again and the animals return. Accompanied by colorful, geometric illustrations done in acrylic, poster color, and water color by Uma Krishnaswamy, Look! Look! is a delightlful story that educates readers on ancient Indian step wells and shows how they can potentially be a solution for handling floods and providing water in India.

Check out more books from diverse authors below!

Hooray for She, He, Ze and They!: What Are Your Pronouns Today?
Written by Lindz Amer
Illustrated by Kip Alizadeh
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available now

Look! Look!
Written by Uma Krishnaswami
Illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy
Published by House of Anansi Press
Available now

My Olive Tree
Written and illustrated by Hazar Elbayya
Published by Anne Schwartz Books
Available now

Old Wounds
Written by Logan-Ashley Kisner
Published by Delacorte Press
Available now

Tala Learns to Siva
Written by Kealani Netane
Illustrated by Dung Ho
Published by Orchard Books
Available now

Butler Bookshelf

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For this week’s Butler Bookshelf, we’re highlighting some of the books in our board book collection! Perfect for babies and toddlers, our board books cover a wide range of topics, like airplane travel and the love of grandparents around the world. This week’s featured book, Gus & Sully Watch the Weather, written and illustrated by Steve Light, follows friends Gus and Sully as they talk about what the weather might be like that day. They explore all kinds of weather, from sunny to snowy to foggy. Light uses beautiful watercolor, pen, and ink illustrations to bring weather to life in this book. Gus & Sully Watch the Weather is perfect for introducing babies and young children to weather conditions, and the end gives kids a great prompt to look outside and describe the weather that day.

Check out more of our board books below!

Baby on Board: Airplane
Written and illustrated by Sebastien Braun
Published by Templar Books
Available now

The Earth Book
Written and illustrated by Hannah Alice
Published by Nosy Crow Ltd
Available now

Global Baby Grandparents (Global Babies)
Written by Maya Ajmera
Published by Charlesbridge
Available now

Gus and Sully Watch the Weather
Written and illustrated by Steve Light
Published by Candlewick Press
Available now

Hey! What’s That?
Written and illustrated by Sandra Boynton
Published by Boynton Bookworks
Available now

Peek-a-boo, Thumper!
Written by Disney Books
Illustrated by Jerrod Maruyama
Published by Disney Press
Available now

Bloom Where You’re Planted: A review of Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden

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Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden
Christy Mandin
Scholastic/Orchard Books
July 2, 2024
Age 4-8

Garden Glen is basic: the homes look the same, the adults look the same, the gardens look the same. And they want to keep it that way. But when Millie Fleur La Fae and her family move to the Addams Family-esque house on the edge of town, things are bound to change. To make Garden Glen feel like home, she plants a truly peculiar garden—full of fanged fairy moss and grumpy gilliflower—and draws the ire of her neighbors who want to “mow it down!” With determination, creativity, an inclusive spirit, and some encouragement from Mom, she invites her young classmates to experience something a little different, but wonderfully weird. And little by little, builds a culture of acceptance in her new home.

In this sweet, silly, yet layered homage to individuality, Mandin proves that a lot of flare and a little bravery can make a big impact. Millie Fleur’s persistence and Mom’s wisdom about fear disguised as resistance offer an unambiguous message on what it takes to effect change. Met with everything from disdain to threats by adults, Millie Fleur finds her peers more open to something new. The full-color, sepia toned illustrations lend a retro feel that’s both appropriate to 1950s feel of the very proper town and the straight-laced character costuming. The “hand-drawn” style of the digital illustrations is deceptively simple, with expressive faces and moments of architectural precision that complement the layers of meaning in the story. An author’s note introduces some unique (though sadly un-fanged) plants that young gardeners can add to their own yard and background on the true poison garden that helped inspired the tale.

A charming, yet inspiring tale for the young change agents in your library.

It Takes a Village: A Review of Squirrel Needs a Break

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Squirrel Needs a Break
Kristen Remenar
Illustrated by Matt Faulkner
Charlesbridge
Available May 7, 2024
Age 4-7

After a long winter in the nest, Squirrel is an exhausted single dad, just doing his best with three rambunctious kits. Seeing his need, his forest friends hatch a plan to give Squirrel the break he so desperately deserves. How hard could it be to take care of little squirrels? While Owl takes Squirrel to dinner, Hare teaches the kits to make pancakes. While Groundhog takes him to yoga, Owl teaches the kits to meditate—almost. Each friend takes a turn helping Squirrel to relax and watching the kits. As the community rallies to help, they realize how hard and rewarding it can be to parent. In the end, they all appreciate what a wonderful father Squirrel is and what a strong family they make together.

In this companion to Groundhog’s Dilemma, Remenar uses gentle humor to explore the work and love required to raise young of any species with a story as much for parents as children. And the forest community demonstrates just how important a support system, whether an extended or found family, can be to the effort. Faulkner’s digital illustrations use a pencil-like technique and vintage color palette reminiscent of Disney’s The Rescuers (1977). The combination of full-bleed and multi-panel pages with text bubbles provides enough visual interest to keep the story from veering too retro. Emotionally expressive faces showcase the joys and trials of parenthood so thoroughly that adult readers will feel seen. Perfect for a snuggled up read, this title will illustrate to kids the ways caregivers show their love through both actions and words.

The African proverb that it takes a village to raise a child (or, in this case, squirrel) is proven yet again in this sweet and lighthearted tribute to the power of community.