Children's Staff Picks 2/2025

Frank likes peace and quiet. He likes his tent, his pencil, and writing in his secret notebook. Bean likes noise. He likes his bus, his trumpet -- toot, toot! -- and making music. Loud music. But Bean is missing something: he does not have words. What will happen if Frank shares his words with Bean? With a laugh-out-loud narrative by Jamie Michalak, author of the Joe and Sparky series, and Bob Kolar's bright, graphic, comical illustrations, this fresh...

Witty typewriter Olivetti and twelve-year-old introvert Ernest embark on a mission to find Ernest's missing mother that takes them across San Francisco.

Illustrations and simple, rhyming text reveal a parent's musings about what a child will become, knowing that the child's kindness, cleverness, and boldness will shine through no matter what, as will the love they share.

Inspired by a true story, new Muslim student Aliya joins an all-girls, hijab-wearing basketball team, and she learns about teamwork and herself.

"With his signature style, Steve Jenkins uses engaging graphics and visual literacy to convey scientific facts and concepts, making them accessible for all kinds of readers. In Our World: By the Numbers readers will learn about the complex and wonderful place we call home. This book opens wide on the solar system and then zooms in on planet Earth--its history, its creatures, its climate, and its future. Discover some of the most fascinating aspects...

"An immigration story that gently conveys that curiosity, open-mindedness, and acceptance have the power to overcome fear, close-mindedness, and rejection. It's Okay, Just Ask is the story of a child who immigrates with her family (older sister and parents) to a new place and faces the uncertainties, fears, and wonder that come with a big change in the middle of childhood. The story is loosely based on the author's own move to Canada from the Philippines...

"Jovita didn't want to cook and clean like her sisters, and she especially didn't want to wear the skirts her abuela gave her. She wanted to race her brothers and climb the tallest mesquite trees in Rancho Palos Blancos, ride horses, and wear pants! When her father and brothers joined the Cristeros War to fight for the right to practice religion, she wanted to help. She wasn't allowed to fight, but that didn't stop her from observing how her father...

"Discover more about Stevie Wonder, the music prodigy whose awards include 25 Grammy Awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom,"--Amazon.com.

A picture book that shows the many different ways we express our love to one another, from grand and exciting, to simple and sweet.