Staff Picks

In this deliciously good fantasy graphic novel, Basil and her friends navigate the pressures of attending a magiculinary boarding school. This book contains amazing LGBTQ+ representation and an adorable romance that will make you hungry for a snack while reading! Cozy up with this book!

 

Publisher's description: 

Basil Eyres and Arabella Oregano are both students of cooking with magic at Porta Bella Magiculinary Academy, and although the two are instantly smitten with each other, Arabella has a secret with the potential to throw Basil's future aspirations into jeopardy.

Find Basil and Oregano in our online catalog. 

A sweet story about a kid waiting for her Mommy to return from a work trip. She goes through every day of the week going about her routine with her Mama, but notices the differences when Mommy is not around. This is a great story to use to discuss time and the concept of waiting with children. Not to mention the illustrations are gorgeous and detailed!

 

Publisher's description:

For one little girl, there’s no place she’d rather be than sitting between Mama and Mommy. So when Mommy goes away on a work trip, it’s tricky to find a good place at the table. As the days go by, Mama brings her to the library, they watch movies, and all of them talk on the phone, but she still misses Mommy as deep as the ocean and as high as an astronaut up in the stars. As they pass by a beautiful garden, the girl gets an idea . . . but when Mommy finally comes home, it takes a minute to shake off the empty feeling she felt all week before leaning in for a kiss.

Find Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle in our online catalog.

Why bother picking one favorite color when you can love them all? This fun picture book is a great way to discuss colors, days of the week, and, most importantly, how colors don't have to be gender conforming. Once I start reading aloud the first color, pink, and how the gender nonconforming child likes to where his pink tutu on Sundays, my story time audience quiets down and they start to really listen to the story. I don't think this picture book is one that should be overlooked.

 

Publisher's description: 

Unable to choose one favorite color, a young boy enjoys wearing a pink tutu on Sundays, playing with an orange basketball on Tuesdays, and trying to change things with a purple wand on Saturdays.

Find Rainbow Boy in our online catalog. 

A beautifully written and illustrated picture book by an Indigenous author and illustrator duo who take inspiration from their Nation's beliefs. The author's Nation, the Inniniwak--People of the Stars--believe that babies choose their parents and arrive with their own gifts. The story follows an expectant mother gathering sacred items for her child before they arrive. Each item has a specific meaning and the gorgeous art connects the words with a mesmerizing display of the culture, land, and spiritual meaning.

 

Publisher's description

This unique baby book sings with Native cultural detail, while striking a universal chord in its celebration of the blossoming of love that comes with expecting and welcoming a new baby--with art by New York Times bestselling illustrator and Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade. As she waits for the arrival of her new baby, a mother-to-be gathers gifts to create a sacred bundle. A white feather, cedar and sage, a stone from the river . . .Each addition to the bundle will offer the new baby strength and connection to tradition, family, and community. As they grow together, mother and baby will each have gifts to offer each other. Tasha Spillett-Sumner and Michaela Goade, two Indigenous creators, bring beautiful words and luminous art together in a resonant celebration of the bond between mother and child.

 

This is a great example of a book that normalizes people with disabilities to a younger audience. I love how it portrays the main character as having her own voice, even if she is unable to speak. Dancing with Daddy shows a glimpse of the life of a person with disabilities, which others may not know about.

 

Publisher's description:

Elsie can't wait to go to her first father-daughter dance. She picked out the perfect dress and has been practicing swirling and swaying in her wheelchair. Elsie's heart pirouettes as she prepares for her special night. With gestures, smiles, and words from a book filled with pictures, she shares her excitement with her family. But when a winter storm comes, she wonders if she'll get the chance to spin and dance her way to a dream come true.

 

Find Dancing with Daddy in our online catalog.