Category Archives: Quarto

Butler Bookshelf

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This week’s Butler Bookshelf is all about the silly! We’re taking a look at some new picture books that are pretty much guaranteed to… well, at least give you a giggle! There’s a little bit of everything for everyone here: an acorn-less gray squirrel who’s going nuts (literally!), a wise bug broadcasting insect advice on air, an overzealous little penguin pursuing polar bear for dinner, and one little girl’s grocery store banana bonanza. Our feature pick this week is Little Red and Big, Bad Fred, a creatively silly & heartfelt take on the classic Little Red Riding Hood tale, written and illustrated by Ashley Belote. Little Red loves going to his Great-Grandpa’s house, especially since it means he gets to see his furry friend Fred along the way! But the one thing Little Red doesn’t know is… Fred’s a hungry, hungry wolf and thinks Little Red would make a scrumptious midday snack! One winter day, Fred hits his head, and Little Red brings him to Great-Grandpa’s for help. With sharp, shiny fangs and big, big claws, the two realize he must be a dog! They buy him kibble, play fetch, and after lots of belly rubs, Fred realizes that maybe Little Red wouldn’t be the perfect meal, but rather the perfect best friend.

Check out some more silly, laugh-out-loud picture books below!

Little Red and Big, Bad Fred
Ashley Belote
Random House Children’s Books / Random House Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Gray Squirrel Loses It!
Cassandra Federman
Random House Children’s Books / Random House Books for Young Readers
Available now!

On the Air with Dr. Doodlebug
Susan E. Goodman
Illustrated by Merrill Rainey
Astra Books for Young Readers / Hippo Park
Available now!

I’m Going to Eat a Polar Bear
Karl Newson
Illustrated by Nicola Kinnear
The Quarto Group / Happy Yak
Available now!

A Quick Trip to the Store
Sam Wedelich
Random House Children’s Books / Knopf Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Butler Bookshelf

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For this week’s Butler Bookshelf, we’re exploring all things mythological. From the fire-breathing dragons who can’t quite seem to keep their underpants burn-free to the little girl who’s unsure what to do with a seemingly-stranded unicorn… (The carnival? A pet store maybe?), each of these picture book picks feature some fantastical creatures and the chaos (or magic!) that ensues. Our feature pick this week is The Bakery Dragon and the Fairy Cake, written and illustrated by Devin Elle Kurtz, the second book in her best-selling (and authorial debut!) series. Ember the dragon is an excellent baker, so it’s no surprise when Princess Turnip arrives with the daunting request that he shall be the one to bake for the Fairy Queen’s birthday party. Only one small problem: The Queen wants a “birthday cake” and Ember’s never heard of “birthday cake” before! Apparently, it’s supposed to be: sweet, tall, and… full of candles?! Despite some failed attempts and a few tears (and thanks to a handy-dandy gaggle of fellow dragons who are more than willing to sample the burnt extras…), Ember is determined to let them eat cake. The fairies, that is.

Check out some more mythical creature tales (tails) below!

The Angel and the Mermaid
Becky Cameron
The Quarto Group / Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Available now!

Dragons Love Underpants
Claire Freedman
Illustrated by Ben Cort
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing / Aladdin
Available now!

The Bakery Dragon and the Fairy Cake
Devin Elle Kurtz
Random House Children’s Books / Knopf Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Sometimes You Find a Dragon
Viviane Schwarz
Candlewick Press
Available now!

Unicorn Post
Emma Yarlett
Candlewick Press
Available now!

Not So Scary: A Review of Don’t Squish a Slug

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Don’t Squish a Slug: A Wonderful Celebration of Marvellous Minibeasts!
Yussef Rafik
Illustrated by Riley Samels
The Quarto Group/words & pictures
Ages 7-10
Available February 18, 2025

Have you ever wondered what the world’s biggest insect is? Do you want to know why slugs produce slime? Are you ready to learn how to decode a honeybee’s “waggle dance?” If you’re curious about bugs, then this is the book for you! Don’t Squish a Slug: A Wonderful Celebration of Marvelous Minibeasts is a look into the big world of the smallest creatures on Earth. From camouflage champions to poisonous pros, Rafik explores some of the most amazing and interesting bugs out there, and explains what makes each one of them special and important.

More than just a book of bug facts, Don’t Squish a Slug is about caring for even the smallest of creatures. “It’s really important that we have empathy for bugs,” the introduction to the book says, “We should appreciate what they do for our planet an learn to love living alongside them” (5). To that end, each entry includes mentions of how each bug is useful to humans and our environment. Particularly scary or off-putting entries, such as the horrifyingly named tongue-eating louse, are partnered with reassurances that they pose no threat to the average human. Samels’ colorful full-page illustrations are accurate while remaining stylized and not overly-detailed, and even classic creepy-crawlies like spiders and millipedes manage to be represented without looking unsettling or upsetting to the most squeamish of readers. By combining fascinating facts with reminders of the helpfulness and importance of these “minibeasts,” Rafik’s book is sure to foster a love (or at least a tolerant understanding) of insects in readers.

With enjoyable illustrations and exciting information, this book is sure to please bug-lovers, while also inspiring curiosity in those less fond of them. Regardless of their opinion going in, any child is sure to finish Don’t Squish a Slug with newfound knowledge and appreciation for these teeny-tiny creatures.

Growing a Reader: Garden Pictures Books for Spring 2022

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Spring has sprung! Or I’m sure it will any time now. And with it comes the chance to get outside (finally!) and enjoy nature, feel the sunshine, and play in the garden. This spring the publishing world has supplied us with a bumper crop of titles to inspire gardeners of all ages. With picture books and board books, fiction and nonfiction, there is something to inspire all of us to grab our garden tools and start digging. Happy reading (and planting)!

BOARD BOOKS:

My Garden: My World in 100 Words
Happy Yak, illustrated by Marijke Buurlage
Quarto
Published April 12, 2022
Ages Birth to 3

This bright and bouncy vocab primer explores the seasons and fun to be had in nature with simple word to illustration connections. Broken into easy to interpret categories, each spread includes object, action, and emotion words, and with a nod to social emotional learning, color-coded dots indicate actions and emotions.

PICTURE BOOKS:

Behold Our Magical Garden: Poems Fresh from the School Garden
Allen Wolf, illustrated by Daniel Duncan
Candlewick
Published March 8, 2022
Ages 8-12

Part poetry collection, part gardening guide, and all fun. Wolf’s poetry and thoughtful end notes weave English language arts lessons, with STEM topics in verses full of curiosity, wonder, and interesting biology facts. The diverse class groups and detailed digital drawings are an engaging combination sure to inspire garden clubs to start planning.

The Fairy Garden
Georgia Buckthorn, illustrated by Isabella Mazzanti
Quarto
Published April 5, 2022
Ages 4-7

Mimi dreams of a fairy garden and works diligently to plant, prune, and tidy her garden until it’s perfect—for people, not fairies. With a little encouragement from its former inhabitants, she lets go and grows a beautiful and wild garden for the fairies to thrive. Lovely, soft-focused, colored pencil illustrations evoke a magical setting for dreaming of fairy-folk. Illustrated endnotes include rules for creating a fairy-friendly garden, adorable housing included.

NONFICTION PICTURE BOOKS:

Little Homesteader: A Spring Treasury of Recipes, Crafts, and Wisdom
Angela Ferraro-Fanning, illustrated by AnneliesDraws
Quarto
Published March 22, 2022
Ages 6-8

A fun and fact-filled celebration of spring’s natural wonders. Full of wholesome, hands-on ways to enjoy the foods, plants, and holidays that make spring so lovely, including crafts, recipes, and gardening tips. Vibrant colored pencil illustrations of veggies, bugs, and animals also include two rosy-cheeked children enjoying all the fun.

The Gardener of Alcatraz: A True Story
Emma Bland Smith, illustrated by Jenn Ely
Charlesbridge
Published April 5, 2022
Ages 7-10

Elliott Michener, sent to Alcatraz as a convicted counterfeiter, changed both his life and the island prison when he discovered a passion for gardening. Without white-washing Michener’s crimes or intentions, Bland Smith treats his story with empathy and his transformation from criminal to landscaper with dignity. Ely’s thoughtful use of color swings from dreary to cheerful (and back) in attentive accordance to the mood of the text. Back matter includes a dual timeline for Alcatraz Island and Michener, extensive notes on both, and a bibliography and author’s note.

Planting a Garden in Room 6: From Seeds to Salad
Caroline Arnold
Charlesbridge
Published March 15, 2022
Ages 3-7

With a little help from their teacher, the students in room 6 will learn how to plant and tend a garden. Step-by-step explanations and photos cover everything from seed sprouting to planting to harvesting and taste-testing. A tool guide, Q&A, vocabulary terms, and both digital and hard copy resources complement the extremely detailed text. Planting a Garden in Room 6 is the third book in the collaborative series between Arnold and kindergarten teacher, Jennifer Best.

Which titles would you add to this list?

Butler Bookshelf

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This week we are featuring several books that are available Today! Right now! On the bookshelf you will find The Katha Chest. This picture book follows Asiya, a young girl learning about her aunts’ and grandmother’s memories through playing with their handmade quilts made from their worn saris. A beautifully illustrated tale about loving the memories you make and the ones that make them with you. Check it out along with the other titles below!

The Book that Did Not Want to Be Read
Written and Illustrated by David Sundin
Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available Today!

The Katha Chest
Written by Radhiah Chowdrury and Illustrated by Lavanya Naidu
Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available Today!

Listen to the Language of the Trees: A Story of how Forests Communicate Underground
Written by Tera Kelley and Illustrated by Marie Hermansson
Published by Source Books
Available Today!

My Own Way: Celebrating Gender Freedom for Kids
Written by and Illustrated by Joana Estrela
Published by Wide Eyed
Available Today!

Once Upon a Tim
Written by Stuart Gibbs and Illustrated by Stacy Curtis
Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available Today!

Turning
Written by Joy L. Smith
Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available Today!

How Do You Feel?: SEL Picture Books for All Ages

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Managing emotions can be hard, whether you’re 4 or 44, but successful social emotional learning can help all of us learn how to identify and express our feelings, and support others in handling theirs. Fortunately, 2021 picture book authors are here to help with this roundup of titles just waiting for their chance to shine in an SEL themed story time or a lesson for older kids.

A Cat with No Name: A Story About Sadness
What a Feeling Series
Kochka, Illustrated by Marie Leghima
Parent notes by clinical psychologist Louison Neilman
Quarto/words & pictures
Ages 3-6

Olive cares for a lost kitten that she quickly comes to love. When he doesn’t return one day, a neighborhood search proves he’s been reunited with his owners. Olive’s dad helps her realize that it’s ok to be sad about missing him and how to find peace in remembering. Originally published in France, the line drawings limited color palette have a European sensibility. End notes from a psychologist provide information and tips on recognizing and supporting a child handling sadness.

Big Feelings
Alexandra Penrose, illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman
Penguin Random House/Alfred A. Knopf
Ages 4-8

A diverse group of children have big plans for the day, but when things don’t go as planned, frustration, anger, and fights get in the way. As they work through their differences and work together on a new plan, respect, kindness, and excitement bring them together as a team. Bright mixed media illustrations and expressive little faces show a range of emotions and illustrate some great ways to express them in healthy and productive ways.

How to Apologize
David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka
Candlewick
Ages 3+

It’s not always easy to say “I’m sorry,” but this sweet instruction manual is a specific and silly how-to guide. Whether you’ve made a mistake, been mean to a friend, or had an accident, this step-by-step guide shows the do’s and don’ts of apologies. Hilarious illustrated oops-moments help soften the instructions on how, when, and why we should all learn to apologize.

It Could Be Worse
Einat Tsarfati, translated by Annette Appe
Candlewick
Ages 4-8

Albertini and George have been shipwrecked. Albertini is upset, but George keeps looking on the bright side and after each new misadventure (storms, flying fish, ghost pirates, and a hungry whale) declares “It could always be worse!” Vibrant digital illustrations and outrageous situations provide levity in this silly series of catastrophes, proving that attitude is everything and even a bad day can feel better when you face it with a friend.

The Power of Yet
Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Abrams/Appleseed
Ages 3-6

A small piglet knows the frustration that comes with being a kid. You’re not big enough, strong enough, experienced enough—yet. But trying and growing and practicing leads to learning and success. Pen and ink drawings with pastel watercolors gently follow piglet’s persistence and celebration as yet turns to now.

The Smile Shop
Satoshi Kitamura
Peachtree
Ages 3-6

The market is an exciting place when there is pocket money just waiting to be spent. When a sudden collision sends a small boy’s change down the drain, his hopes of a treat are dashed. But in the Smile Shop, the kindness of a shopkeeper proves that money can’t buy happiness, but human connection sure can. Soft-focus line and watercolor illustrations shift palettes as the boy goes from excited to despondent to hopeful and finally cheerful as he discovers all the smiling faces that surround him.

Dog Meets Boy: A review of I Always Wanted One

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I Always Wanted One cover artI Always Wanted One
Olivier Tallec
Quarto
August 18, 2020
Ages 4-8

Dog has always wanted a boy of his very own, but quickly learns that it’s not all fun and games. Having a boy is a big responsibility—training, feeding, grooming, and figuring out where he wanders off to all day with his bag of books. But even after all the work and all the years, where the boy has “grown bigger and takes up all the room on my couch,” Dog is proud of his boy, and they “remain the best of friends in the world.”

In this twist on the age-old friendship between a boy and his dog, Tallec flips the script and the prescribed emotions of each. Dog has the duties of responsible ownership, and his dry humor and droll observations illustrate that it can be work. But his thoughtful reflections on their evolving relationship demonstrate his devotion to boy. Tallec’s subtle pencil and watercolor illustrations complement the understated text while adding a layer of visual humor to Dog’s opinions. The sight of boy hiding under the dresser or his freshly brushed hair will surely get a giggle from young readers. The horizontal orientation of the book mimics the twisted theme. Both the orientation and detailed illustrations lend themselves to one-on-one reading. A perfect pick for a child who needs to learn what it’s like to belong to a pet.

We’re All in This Together: A Review of One World, Many Colors

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One World Many Colors cover art

One World, Many Colors
Ben Lerwill, illustrated by Alette Straathof
Quarto
Ages 5-7
Published March 17, 2020

 

What could be better than a trip around the world while we’re all trying to stay safe at home? Journey from a Paris bakery to a Vietnamese rice field, the peak of Mt. Everest to the streets of New York City. Travel writer Ben Lerwill guides this tour to explore the colors of the rainbow (well, most of them) and where one might find them the world over—comparing and contrasting the way white might look in the desert of Oman, on an Antarctic glacier, or the Sydney Opera House.

With visits to each continent, readers will discover the beauty of new places and cultures in this sophisticated exploration of the color spectrum. Each page gives just a snapshot (a peaceful Japanese garden or raucous Brazilian soccer stands), with spare text that often captures a unique aspect of the location. Alette Straathof’s detailed watercolor-pencil images (her signature medium) are a lovely counterpoint to the text, providing much to explore on each page. Her expressive faces and diverse crowds lend an additional layer of meaning to the title. The final spread, featuring a map of the world, provides an overview of the tour, a recap of the colors, and a timely reminder of the connection we share as inhabitants of this planet.