Category Archives: review

Olive You, Too: A Review of The Giant and the Olive

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The Giant and the Olive
Leo Daly
Catalyst Press
Ages 4-10
Available February 3rd, 2026

Once there was a happy giant who did all the usual giant things—scaring cows and “Ho-Ho-Ho”-ing all day long. That is, until he stumbles upon what feels like the most beautiful treasure of all: a tiny, shiny black olive. He proudly shows it off to the town & his friends, kisses it goodnight, and tucks it under the covers each evening. But after one fateful, maybe-too-tight hug ends with aPOP!, the giant is devastated by his broken treasure. Through all four seasons, he mourns, weeping over the olive’s grave. Things look bleak until one sunny morning, he discovers that his tears might’ve made for perfect fertilizer; an olive tree has begun to grow!

Through simple dialogue that still effortlessly conveys big emotion, The Giant and the Olive tiptoes between grief and humor with a gentle charm, complemented by Daly’s color-packed, hatched illustrations. With themes that align naturally with social–emotional learning, the story emphasizes the importance of leaning on friends, or even an entire town, during moments of loss. This makes it a thoughtful learning & regulating tool for younger children, as well as older elementary readers who may be encountering heavy, hard feelings for the first time. Daly is careful not to paint grief and sadness as something to simply “get over,” as he makes sure to end with a final, encouraging (and perhaps giant) message: change and loss and olive (all of) one’s love can lead to new, beautiful beginnings.

All You Need Is Love: A Review of We All Love

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We All Love
Julie Flett
Greystone Books / Greystone Kids
Ages 3+
Available February 10th, 2026!

From snuggling otters & hand-holding crabs under the sea to a family fireside bundled up in the cold, we all love. Flowers dance in the wind. Big stars illuminate the night. Warm stones make the perfect perch for a plover. The stories of flora & fauna are the stories of love—all around us, inside us, and they, as author Julie Flett suggests, help us grow.

As a sequel to the award-winning We All Play, Julie Flett returns, even five years later, with the same easy-to-read charm that made the original so beloved. The book maintains its distinctly handmade feel through soft pastel illustrations and simple yet poetic sentences that are perfectly suited for younger readers. Throughout the book, a recurring Cree phrase, kîstanaw mîna, meaning “we do too!” appears across various pages, reinforcing the central message of shared experience, interconnectedness between nature, and belonging. A helpful glossary of Cree animal names alongside their English counterparts is included, as well as pronunciation guidance that invites readers to engage more confidently with the language. The glossary thoughtfully notes that many Cree words don’t have direct English translations, instead reflecting a fluid process of innovation and creation rooted in Cree culture. Because of this, the book functions not only as a story but as a gentle educational tool.

We All Love is a great semi-bilingual introduction for readers interested in exploring a new language, particularly one that may be unfamiliar to most, while honoring Julie Fleet’s Cree-Métis roots in Indigenous language and knowledge. Through its celebration of nature, language, and connection, We All Love is the perfect affirmation that love surrounds us.

Everyone Makes Mistakes: A Review of The Dog Who Was (Almost) Perfect

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The Dog Who Was (Almost) Perfect
Jack Kurland
The Quarto Group/Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Ages 2-5
Available June 2, 2026

Doris the dog does everything perfectly. Her days are filled with perfect walks and perfect tricks, all following an absolutely perfect schedule. When she wakes up one day and discovers a hole chewed in one of her owner Bill’s slippers, she runs away to hide the evidence that she could ever do something less-than-perfect. But when a pack of neighborhood dogs find her, they show her that everyone makes mistakes sometimes.

With only a few words per page and simple, easy-to-understand sentences, Kurland tells a story in a way that will be accessible to even the youngest readers, with a message that anyone can take to heart. Bright, bold colors dominate the illustrations with eye-catching appeal.

An especially great fit for dog lovers, The Dog Who Was (Almost) Perfect engages and delights while delivering an underlying message children and adults can appreciate.

What is Beyond the Moon: A Review of Galaxy Mapper: The Luminous Discoveries of Astrophysicist Helene Courtois

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Galaxy Mapper: The Luminous Discoveries of Astrophysicist Helene Courtois
Allie Summers
Illustrated by Sian James
Candlewick Press/mit Kids Press
Ages 6-10
Available November 18, 2025

From the time she was a young girl in a remote village in the French Alps, Helene Courtois has looked up at the moon, and wondered what could lay beyond it. As she grows older, she finds herself chasing this question all the way into a career as a cosmographer, mapping the vast universe beyond the moon. Her maps of the galaxy eventually uncovers the existence of a supercluster of galaxies named Laniakea — perhaps finally answering her question of what lays past the moon.

Summers follows Courtois from childhood through to her discovery of Laniakea, with the moon as a constant companion in her journey. The sky dominates James’ illustrations on every page, always keeping the story oriented towards the stars. The narrative masterfully weaves together a cohesive story of Helene’s life, bringing her discoveries back to the maps and experiences of her childhood.

Future astronomers and cosmographers-in-training will be drawn to this book’s exploration of space, and humanity (and Helene’s) journey towards mapping it. Courtois’ mission of inspiring girls to pursue science means there is also ample inspiration for girls in STEM in its pages.

The Complications of Intimacy: A Review of How Girls Are Made

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How Girls Are Made
Mindy McGinnis
HarperCollins 
Ages 16-18
Available November 18, 2025

High school seniors Fallon, Shelby, and Jobie couldn’t be more different. Fallon is determined to graduate with straight A’s and escape Presnick, their small, conservative Ohio town. Shelby is focused on her budding career as a semiprofessional MMA fighter. And Jobie is chasing online stardom… and a rhinoplasty. When Fallon finds out her thirteen-year-old sister Farrah’s sex education class is teaching girls virtually nothing, she decides someone must enlighten these young girls about safe sex. After coercing Shelby and Jobie to join in, the trio begins hosting secret meetings to talk about sex at the local rec center, under the guise of a “self-help” class called “SHAFT.” After an Instagram post about “SHAFT” goes viral, Presnick’s parents are up in arms. DMs begin flooding in; fingers start pointing, and their antidote to an incompetent health class quickly spirals into a dangerous web of lies. Weaved in between their own simultaneous struggles, a fatal ending for one of the three solidifies the long-lasting effects of trauma. 

Although the first three hundred pages, even with a point of view shift each chapter, maintain a consistent tone that accurately captures the acerbic humor and raw tumult of teenage girlhood, the final fifty pages quickly veer into tragedy reminiscent of a Lifetime movie—fitting for a story steeped in teenage drama. Despite its soapy ending, How Girls Are Made serves as an important cautionary tale about the complications (and potential dangers) of sex and relationships. The characters are complex; the dialogue rings true, and as devastating as the story becomes, McGinnis confronts a myriad of incredibly relevant issues to teenagers nowadays. Given its heavy subject matter, which McGinnis tackles with heart-wrenching accuracy, including references to rape, suicide, and domestic abuse, the book is best suited for more mature young adult readers. 

Worm-Tastic: A Review of Night Chef

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Night Chef: An Epic Tale of Friendship With a Side of Deliciousness!
Mika Song
Random House Children’s Books/RH Graphic
Ages 7-10
Available October 28. 2025

Night Chef lives in the walls of a human kitchen, only coming out at night to cook. But when an egg hatches into a baby crow, it becomes necessary to venture out past the safety of her kitchen to return it to its family. Along the way, she meets a wide cast of characters and starts to build a family of her own.

Song captures Night Chef’s journey in watercolors, giving the book a unique style that allows it to stand out among scores of graphic novels. Pages contain minimal dialogue, with characters often speaking in only one or two sentences, allowing focus to be pulled to the action and scenery on the pages. As Night Chef travels, she meets a variety of creatures, each of which teaches her a lesson about family and allows her to expand her chef training outside of the kitchen. The culmination, an epic face-off with the fate of an animal restaurant with a worm-heavy menu, finds Night Chef viewing family in a new light.

With gorgeous pictures and digestible dialogue, Night Chef has the ability to entice seasoned and reluctant readers alike. The heartwarming story, combined with humor and moments of action, gives this graphic novel a wide appeal.

This Book’s The Real Peel: A Review of This is Orange

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This is Orange: A Field Trip Through Color
Rachel Poliquin
Illustrated by Julie Morstad
Candlewick Press
Ages 5-9
Available October 21st, 2025

Whether it’s that first juicy bite of a mandarin, the fur of your feisty tabby cat, or even the Guianan cock-of-the-rock’s flamboyant, lady-wooing crest, the color orange is everywhere… but who exactly was the first to call it “orange?” This exploration of color begins over six hundred years ago, when Geoffrey Chaucer’s famous book The Canterbury Tales describes a fox whose “colour was betwixe yelow and reed.” Although the word itself stems from the Tamil word for fragrant: naru, one of the English language’s first written accounts of the color orange comes from a description of the Queen of Scotland’s dress with “slevys of orenge colour.”This is Orange traces the color’s presence around our world, from the holidays we celebrate to the fruits we eat, even to the garb of astronauts and monks alike.  

Author Rachel Poliquin draws inspiration from her Renaissance woman background—part museum curator, part humanities scholar, part literature PhD. She pairs simpler sentences for younger readers with fascinating fun facts for those who are a bit older, like how “the feet of mallard ducks turn bright orange when they are trying to find a mate, yet puffins’ feet are always orange” (22). The brisk pace and jumps from topic to topic—from color theory all the way to vexillology—keep This is Orange feeling bright and engaging rather than overwhelming, although the text may have benefited from the inclusion of a glossary for more curious readers.

A “field trip” might be one way to describe it, but in combination with Julie Morstad’s vibrant watercolor & pastel illustrations, where shades of apricot and calendula feel like they’ve been taken fresh from the paint palette, an “adventure” through color feels more like it. 

New Shoes, Old Traditions: A Review of Charlotte’s New Moccasins

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Charlotte’s New Moccasins
Jenn Moudahi
Illustrated by Rhael McGregor
Charlesbridge
Ages 3-8
Available October 14th, 2025

Charlotte loves her moccasins, but she’s finally outgrown them. At first, she mourns her favorite shoes, until Mommy announces that it’s time for a trip to see Grandma! Together, Charlotte and her grandma pick out their materials, decide on a beaded design, and sew together a brand new pair of moccasins to fit Charlotte’s growing feet. What started out as a disappointment turns into an exciting adventure, as Charlotte decides that she can’t wait to outgrow her new moccasins and start the whole process all over again.

Moudahi’s prose captures all of the big emotions Charlotte is feeling, from deep sadness to profound joy. There is a deep sense of familiarity throughout the story — Charlotte knows everything in her grandmother’s workshop, even if the reader does not, and comments on each item with an ease that brings us into her world. McGregor’s full color, full page illustrations bring the story to life, capturing Charlotte’s joy through constant motion. A repeated motif of orange-yellow swirls follows her throughout the book as her love and excitement grow.

Growing out of a beloved item of clothing is something every child can relate to. Some may be familiar with moccasins and see themselves reflected in the story, while for others it will be an introduction to new cultures and traditions. For children who want to know more about moccasins and their importance to various Indigenous cultures, back matter provides a more in-depth explanation.

Weaving Together the Past and Present: A Review of Braided Roots 

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Braided Roots: The Interweaving of History, Family, and a Father’s Love 
Written by Pasha Westbrook 
Illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight 
Published by Scholastic/Orchard Books 
Ages 4-8 
Available November 4, 2025 

A young girl sits still for her father so he can braid her hair before school. As he braids, he tells her all about their mixed family history and culture. Their ancestors were Freedmen and Native Americans who walked along the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma, and her father impresses upon her that their hair is their history. This prompts the young girl to look at photographs of her relatives, reflecting on how she is connected to past generations through her braided hair. When her father finishes her braid, they celebrate their heritage with a twirl, leaving the young girl feeling like she can change the world. 

In this charming picture book, Pasha Westbrook creates a charming tale that celebrates fatherly love and blended cultural traditions. Her poetic prose artfully conveys the deep connection the young narrator and her father have with their family, comparing their braids to DNA that links them to their ancestors. Westbrook also takes care to show how close the father and daughter are; in the afterword, she writes that she modeled their relationship after her relationship with her own father, creating a heartwarming and personal element. Madelyn Goodnight’s digital illustrations are in full color, utilizing a warm-toned palette and her signature realistic style to portray the sweet, thoughtful mood of the story. Goodnight shows the main character’s passion for her history, and her illustrations incorporate Westbrook’s DNA metaphor into many pages. A touching story about familial connection going back generations, this touching scene between a father and daughter is a wonderful way for young readers to learn about Native American history, culture, and connection.  

Not So Lonely: A Review of Chris Makes a Friend

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Chris Makes a Friend
Alex Gino
Scholastic/Scholastic Press
Ages 8-12
Available November 4th, 2025

Chris knows exactly what she’s going to do with her summer: the Great Summer 72 Book Challenge. She and her best friend Vicky are going to read 72 books each, one for every day of the summer. But their plans come crashing down Chris finds out that she and her sister Becca will be spending the summer with their grandparents while their mom recovers from surgery. It’s not so bad — at least Chris can still message Vicky about their progress on the GS72BC. Except Vicky is spending all her time with her new friends from theater camp, and barely messaging Chris at all. When Chris meets Mia, a fellow bookish 11-year-old, while reading in the woods, it seems like she’s finally found someone who understands her. But there’s more to Mia than meets the eye.

Chris Makes a Friend, like Gino’s other titles, focuses on the realities of being a kid with a heavy focus on diverse and authentic characters. Chris faces challenges that will be relatable to many young readers: loneliness, friend troubles, parental illness, and difficult younger siblings. As she explores the world around her and the way she (and Mia) exist in it, Chris is met with kindness, understanding, and just enough pushback to allow her to learn and grow. At the crux of the book is a question anyone can relate to — what can we do when we feel lonely?

Chris’ ever-present love for reading (and complete list of 70 book recommendations) will make hungry young readers feel at home in Chris Makes a Friend. Themes of chronic illness and disability will be familiar to some readers, while providing a window of insight for others.