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Five Faves: Hot Topics

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In the Children's Department, we have an amazing section of picture books that we call our Hot Topics section. In this section, we group the picture books by a specific topic. A few examples of these topics are: superheroes, princesses, seek & find, favorite characters, and alphabet books. If you haven't had time to explore this section yet, I highly recommend it! It's a great way to easily find books on topics that are very popular. This blog post will feature five of my favorites from this section.

By Ellen Heck
Montclair, NJ: Levine Querido, 2022. Picture Book.

I found this book fascinating. It goes through each letter of the English alphabet and features a drawing of an animal. Then it lists what the word is for that animal in other languages. It was so interesting to me to see how often in multiple other languages, the first letter is the same, but in English it is totally different. The example on the cover: ari, aamoo, abelha are some of the words for bee in other languages. Hence, A is for bee. There are a wide variety of languages featured in this book. The illustrations and use of bright colors make the artwork pop off the page in a truly beautiful way. I appreciate when even a picture book has the ability to make me think more deeply about a topic, and this one definitely had me feeling interested in learning more about languages. Additionally, there is an author's note at the end that gives more insights to things the author learned while working on this project. 

Gray
Written by Laura Dockrill
Illustrated by Lauren Child
Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2024. Picture Book.

This book is a great look at a child who is feeling gray for the day. For a kid who might be having a hard time expressing how they feel, I loved the artwork and the variety of ways to describe how someone might feel when they aren't their typical selves. There are die-cuts in the most ideal places to emphasize the fabulous artwork. The use of basic and limited color gives such a visual representation to the moods the child is trying to describe. I loved that the grown-up in the book slowly makes an appearance, after we have heard from the child for most of the book. The color palette also expands around this time. The comfort and words of affirmation for the child left me feeling so hopeful! 

Rocket Puppies
By William Joyce
New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2024. Picture Book.

This is another great book for kids (and grown-ups) who might be feeling sad or overwhelmed with the world. What better way to turn negative feelings around than puppies?!?! The illustrations are the right touch of whimsy and fantasy to elicit smiles and giggles galore. The main villain is named Snarly McBummerpants and I didn't know how to hold back my laughter reading that!

Penelope Rex and the Problem With Pets
By Ryan Higgins
Los Angeles: Disney-Hyperion, 2024. Picture Book.

A dinosaur getting a saber-toothed cat for a pet is peak humor. Sweet little Penelope is overwhelmed with being a pet owner. It's a lot of work caring for a pet and making sure they don't misbehave. It can turn your world upside down! That's what happens in this book. After some stressful mishaps, Mittens gets banished from the house and must stay outside. It's at this point that Penelope realizes she misses the friendship she had, and is willing to put in extra work to get desirable results. The story has a happy ending, with great lessons learned along the way.

Duck on a Tractor
By David Shannon
New York: Blue Sky Press, An Imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2016. Picture Book.

There are many times I go to picture books to get a good laugh. The first time I read Duck on a Bike, I could not stop smiling. Then Duck on a Tractor was created as a fabulous follow-up. And it has had the same effect on me. I love the animals in the book. The sheer absurdity of a duck driving a bike or a tractor never fails to make me smile. I think there is wisdom in using animals to help kids see qualities in humans that comes across in a more manageable way.

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