Poems for Every Season: A Year of Haiku, Sonnets, and More – written by Bette Westera, illustrated by Henriette Boerendans, translated from the Dutch by David ColmerEerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2026 Poems for Every Season is tranquil, beautiful, and also, thorough. There are many excellent illustrated anthologies of poetry for young people (here, for … Continue reading Seasons of Words
Thinking Outside the Basket
Purim Baskets – written by Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Amy Schimler-SaffordPJ Publishing, 2026 The Jewish holiday of Purim, which this year is observed on March 3 (beginning at sundown on March 2), is a joyous event. Celebrating the heroism of Queen Esther in saving the Jews from annihilation at the hands of the evil Haman, … Continue reading Thinking Outside the Basket
Cloudy with a Chance of Beauty
Kumo the Bashful Cloud – written by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Nathalie DionTundra Books, 2022 Children sometimes personify clouds, and so do adults. While the actual scientific facts about their existence is also enthralling, spinning stories about their evanescent shapes is an important pastime. Kumo is bashful, insecure, but also socially enough inclined to welcome … Continue reading Cloudy with a Chance of Beauty
Snowy Paradox
First Snow – written and illustrated by Peter McCartyBalzer + Bray, 2015 It may not be the first snow, but, due to climate change, it certainly feels like it in many parts of the country. In Peter McCarty’s classic, First Snow, a group of different stylized animals responds with excitement to the event, although one … Continue reading Snowy Paradox
Four Seasons: A Complete View
Now I See WinterNow I See SpringNow I See SummerNow I See SummerWritten by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon KlassenTundra Books, 2026 There are board book editions of children’s classics, others that are original stories, and many that have tactile elements or photographs of familiar objects. All those categories are wonderful for introducing literacy to … Continue reading Four Seasons: A Complete View
Treehouse Inhabitants
The Tree That Was a World – written by Yorick Goldewijk, illustrated by Jeska Verstegen, translated from the Dutch by Laura WatkinsonEerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2025 The Tree That Was a World is unexpected. The central premise of a multitude of creatures who all inhabit, or interact with, the tree, and the dream-like mixed … Continue reading Treehouse Inhabitants
Snail Mail
Gift & Box – written by Ellen Mayer, illustrated by Brizida MagroAlfred A. Knopf, 2023 It’s good to know that there are still authors and illustrators celebrating the postal system. Ellen Mayer and Brizida Magro’s wonderful addition to this genre opens with endpapers that display visually specific examples of snail mail. There are some real … Continue reading Snail Mail
Traveling Dinosaurs
Dinos That Drive – written by Suzy Levinson, illustrated by Dustin HarbinTundra Books, 2025 This fanciful and funny book of illustrated poems operates from the premise that dinosaurs engage in a number of human activities. In Dustin Harbin’s clever drawings, they drive tractors, trucks, and buses. They take care of kids, race motorcycles, and ferry … Continue reading Traveling Dinosaurs
Stellar Dendrites (Snowflakes)
Flurry, Float, and Fly!:The Story of a Snowstorm – written by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Chiara FedeleBloomsbury Children’s Books, 2025 There are STEM picture books that integrate the informational content into a story, and others that place aesthetic appeal at the center, adding the scientific context in the backmatter. The text of Flurry, Float, … Continue reading Stellar Dendrites (Snowflakes)
Bright But Fragile
Penelope’s Balloons – written and illustrated by Brooke BourgeoisUnion Square Kids, 2024 Children can become attached to unexpected objects. Some, like balloons, have a limited life span. In Penelope’s Balloons by Brooke Bourgeois, a young elephant who is “quiet…bright,” and “a bit particular,” cannot let go of ten red balloons, either literally or figuratively. She … Continue reading Bright But Fragile