The Reviews are in!
From KIRKUS
A young girl employs a variety of metaphors as she muses on her mother’s shifting emotions.
Some days Mom soars on the wind like a kite, and “no matter how hard I pull the string, I can’t bring her back down.” Other days, Mom’s boat takes on water and begins to sink. The child tries to help bail it out from her own buoyant vessel, but it’s not enough, and Mom spends those days in bed, while the child’s boat feels “cramped and heavy.” Mom takes the child to meet Grace, a therapist who tells her it’s not her responsibility to monitor her mother’s moods. On another “sinking day,” the child picks up crayons instead and draws. Later, Mom joins her and asks for a picture to hang where she can see it from her bed. The child wonders if she’ll encounter similar troubles when she’s an adult. No one knows, but nevertheless, the young protagonist feels ready to face whatever happens. Detlefsen has crafted a heartfelt meditation on the effects of mental illness on family members. Metaphors are woven in with more concrete events; both reinforce the story’s positive message. Importantly, Mom’s struggles are realistically depicted, but so is the loving parent-child relationship. Dion’s illustrations use negative space to great effect, and the gouache-style brushstrokes create a lovely, textured softness. Mother and child are tan-skinned; Grace is paler.
A breath of fresh air for those seeking to explain mental illness to their little ones.
A young girl employs a variety of metaphors as she muses on her mother’s shifting emotions.
Some days Mom soars on the wind like a kite, and “no matter how hard I pull the string, I can’t bring her back down.” Other days, Mom’s boat takes on water and begins to sink. The child tries to help bail it out from her own buoyant vessel, but it’s not enough, and Mom spends those days in bed, while the child’s boat feels “cramped and heavy.” Mom takes the child to meet Grace, a therapist who tells her it’s not her responsibility to monitor her mother’s moods. On another “sinking day,” the child picks up crayons instead and draws. Later, Mom joins her and asks for a picture to hang where she can see it from her bed. The child wonders if she’ll encounter similar troubles when she’s an adult. No one knows, but nevertheless, the young protagonist feels ready to face whatever happens. Detlefsen has crafted a heartfelt meditation on the effects of mental illness on family members. Metaphors are woven in with more concrete events; both reinforce the story’s positive message. Importantly, Mom’s struggles are realistically depicted, but so is the loving parent-child relationship. Dion’s illustrations use negative space to great effect, and the gouache-style brushstrokes create a lovely, textured softness. Mother and child are tan-skinned; Grace is paler.
A breath of fresh air for those seeking to explain mental illness to their little ones.
From KIRKUS
The tenderly reassuring text will help kids learn to weather storms, secure in the knowledge that better days are around the corner…. Gentle guidance for life’s inevitable ups and downs.
From KIRKUS
The tenderly reassuring text will help kids learn to weather storms, secure in the knowledge that better days are around the corner…. Gentle guidance for life’s inevitable ups and downs.
From KIRKUS
A mouthwatering celebration of family, sharing, and, of course—delicious, fresh-baked bread.
From PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
Gentle narration and painterly illustrations illuminate the making of a “kneaded and needed” dietary staple across generations in this homey picture book... The chiaroscuro of Soman’s pen-and-ink and watercolor images contrasts evenly lit situations with theatrically lit, darker-toned flashbacks, communicating how, as Detlefsen writes, amid hardships (the Great Depression, Covid lockdowns), “still there was bread.”
From KIRKUS
The lyrical text is paired with tender visuals that primarily focus on one of the children, who’s by turn confused, sad, and hopeful—and whose situation will elicit commiseration and compassion, especially from other kids in military families.
From THE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS
With its focus on balance and resilience, this would be a solid bedtime choice for a kid who needs a reminder that a bad day doesn't mean the end of the world and that it's just as important to appreciate little moments as big ones.
From HORN BOOK
Bontigao's expressive digitally rendered illustrations capture the havoc surrounding the family (e.g., the dog eats a child's homework, a vase is knocked off a table and shatters), while the text's soothing rhythm makes for a fine bedtime story.
The lyrical text is paired with tender visuals that primarily focus on one of the children, who’s by turn confused, sad, and hopeful—and whose situation will elicit commiseration and compassion, especially from other kids in military families.
From THE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS
With its focus on balance and resilience, this would be a solid bedtime choice for a kid who needs a reminder that a bad day doesn't mean the end of the world and that it's just as important to appreciate little moments as big ones.
From HORN BOOK
Bontigao's expressive digitally rendered illustrations capture the havoc surrounding the family (e.g., the dog eats a child's homework, a vase is knocked off a table and shatters), while the text's soothing rhythm makes for a fine bedtime story.
From BOOKLIFE
A cheerful celebration of farm footwear, work, and play as the seasons change. Editor's Pick!
From BOOKLIFE
A cheerful celebration of farm footwear, work, and play as the seasons change. Editor's Pick!
From KIRKUS
The transportation-obsessed have found a new tale to pore over.
From PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
The text’s playful formula and outdoor-voice decibel level makes it a readaloud natural, but it’s Neubecker’s gift for portraying incredibly detailed situations, chock-full of visual humor, that will render this book awesome for vehicle enthusiasts.
From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
A pleasant additional purchase to expand collections on this perennially popular topic.
The transportation-obsessed have found a new tale to pore over.
From PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
The text’s playful formula and outdoor-voice decibel level makes it a readaloud natural, but it’s Neubecker’s gift for portraying incredibly detailed situations, chock-full of visual humor, that will render this book awesome for vehicle enthusiasts.
From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
A pleasant additional purchase to expand collections on this perennially popular topic.
From KIRKUS
A lighthearted introduction to the Korean martial art—this lively kitty entertains.
A lighthearted introduction to the Korean martial art—this lively kitty entertains.
From THE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS
Pair this with Cornwall’s Jabari Jumps for an encouraging primer before kiddos head off to make their big splash.
From KIRKUS
Playful encouragement for new swimmers. A splash!
From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
VERDICT A great way to encourage children to both explore the world around them and incorporate new activities into their daily lives. Dive right in.
Pair this with Cornwall’s Jabari Jumps for an encouraging primer before kiddos head off to make their big splash.
From KIRKUS
Playful encouragement for new swimmers. A splash!
From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
VERDICT A great way to encourage children to both explore the world around them and incorporate new activities into their daily lives. Dive right in.
RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE is the 2019 American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture Book of the Year and the Ag in the Classroom Book of the Year for several states, including Lisl's home state of Wisconsin!
From KIRKUS
An age-appropriate informational picture book offering a sunny celebration of farming.
From KIRKUS
An age-appropriate informational picture book offering a sunny celebration of farming.
From KIRKUS
A whimsical story that challenges readers to dream, create, and share their fun with everyone.
From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
IAn energetic, crowd-pleasing read-aloud that can be revisited again and again.
From THE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS
Graduates of the Numeroff books and Loomis’ Astro Bunnies can swoop right on to this slightly more frenetic adventure.
From BOOKLIST
This vivid picture book will leave kids longing for jetpacks, while taking off on their own flights of fancy.
A whimsical story that challenges readers to dream, create, and share their fun with everyone.
From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
IAn energetic, crowd-pleasing read-aloud that can be revisited again and again.
From THE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS
Graduates of the Numeroff books and Loomis’ Astro Bunnies can swoop right on to this slightly more frenetic adventure.
From BOOKLIST
This vivid picture book will leave kids longing for jetpacks, while taking off on their own flights of fancy.
From KIRKUS
The author, who lives on a marsh, calls this a love letter to the cranberry-growing community, but it is also an enlightening, joyful celebration of a little-explored agricultural endeavor.
From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
A charming depiction of a small family business that helps children understand the origins of their food.
From BOOKLIST
A fine choice for young children who wonder how their food gets from farm to table.
From HORN BOOK
From the flooding of the cranberry marshes to the booming, corralling, suctioning, cleaning, and delivering, details of the harvest throughout are educational and informative.
From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Debut author Detlefsen (who lives on a Wisconsin cranberry marsh herself) vividly details each step, introducing terminology like "booming"... and "corralling," which involves putting on waders and gathering the berries "into one big bunch called the pot." (When Sam slips, his father assures him, "I always say you're not a cranberry grower until you fall in.")