Archives de catégorie : Picture Books

HIDDEN HOPE d’Elisa Boxer & Amy June Bates

This picture book tells the remarkable true story of how a toy duck smuggled forged identity papers for Jewish refugees during WWII.

HIDDEN HOPE:
How a Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust
by Elisa Boxer
illustrated by Amy June Bates
Abrams BYR, March 2023

During World War II, families all across Europe huddled together in basements, attics, and closets as Nazi soldiers rounded up anyone Jewish. The Star of David, a symbol of faith and pride, became a tool of hate when the Nazis forced Jewish people to carry papers stamped with that star, so that it was clear who to capture. But many brave souls dared to help them.
Jewish teenager Jacqueline Gauthier, a member of the French Resistance who had to conceal her identity, was one who risked her life in secret workshops, forging papers with new names and without stars in order to help others escape. But how to get these life-saving papers to families in hiding? An ordinary wooden toy duck held the answer, a hidden compartment: hope in a hollow.
Written by award-winning journalist Elisa Boxer and movingly illustrated by the acclaimed Amy June Bates, HIDDEN HOPE celebrates the triumph of freedom and the human spirit, a story of everyday heroism, resilience, and finding hope in unexpected places.

Elisa Boxer is the author of the picture book Covered in Color as well as an Emmy Award–winning journalist and columnist. She has reported for newspapers, magazines, and TV stations, and has a passion for telling stories about people finding the courage to create change. Boxer lives with her family in Maine. 
Amy Bates is the illustrator of many books for children, including The Boy and the Sea, Gittel’s Journey, Minette’s Feast, and The Dog Who Belonged to No One. She lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

FLORA’S WISH de Fiona Halliday

A picture book about friendship and loss, in which a shy little mouse learns about bravery after her dandelion friend fades and departs, leaving behind only wishes.

FLORA’S WISH
by Fiona Halliday
Dial/ Penguin Young Readers, August 2023

Flora the field mouse was a boldly whiskered liontamer! Although it wasn’t very hard to be bold and brave with her best friend Lion (a dandelion) by her side. But as the seasons change, Lion’s whiskers go from a bright yellow to shimmering silver, until one day, he scatters in the wind completely. Can Flora still be brave without Lion by her side?

Fiona Halliday loves all things finned, furred, feathered and fantastical. She studied English Literature at Edinburgh University and received a MA in Photojournalism from the University of Westminster, London. She has been a freelance journalist and photographer, an ESL teacher, and an organist. Originally from Scotland, she now lives in Austria.

THE BEST FLOWER EVER de Neesha Hudson

A spare and laugh-out-loud funny picture book about appreciating what you have and learning to grow with the help of friends.

THE BEST FLOWER EVER
by Neesha Hudson
Dial/ Penguin Young Readers, June 2023

An Australian shepherd thinks he has the most special flower in the world. He loves the way it smells and how soft it is and how the petals tickle his nose. But one by one, more dogs show up with flowers that seem to be even more special than his! A humongous sunflower with a bejeweled pot? A plant that can survive in the desert? How could his little flower compete against those? But when he accidentally destroys his flower, this pup learns that just because other flowers are special doesn’t mean his can’t be too. 

Neesha Hudson is a freelance author-illustrator living on the coast of Maine. She is delighted to spend most of her days drawing funny little characters and sipping black tea. She is the author-illustrator of Turtle in a Tree, and when not illustrating, Neesha enjoys spending time with her husband, their two children, two dogs, and four chickens.

MAX AND MOONBEAN de Rob Scotton

Rob Scotton returns with the first book in a brand-new picture book series about a shy young dog and his out-of-this-world friend.

MAX AND MOONBEAN
by Rob Scotton
HarperCollins Children’s Books, June 2023

It’s the night before show and tell, and Max isn’t sure what to bring. He’s shy and worried that it will all go all wrong. But when a space creature named Moonbean crashes into his room, Max discovers all he needed was a friend to help him.

Rob Scotton is the bestselling author and illustrator of Russell the Sheep; Russell and the Lost Treasure; Russell’s Christmas Magic; Splat the Cat; Love, Splat; Merry Christmas, Splat; and Scaredy-Cat, Splat! His work can also be found on greeting cards, ceramics, textiles, prints, stationery, and glassware. An honors graduate of Leicester Polytechnic, Rob now lives in Rutland, England, with his wife, Liz, who is also an artist.

TOO EARLY de Nora Ericson & Elly MacKay

A gentle, cozy story following a family’s bleary-eyed wake-up routine, a little one who’s eager to start the day, and the quiet magic of early mornings.

TOO EARLY
written by Nora Ericson
illustrated by Elly MacKay
Arams Books for Young Readers, November 2022

I wake up very early.
Good morning, Sun, on your way at last. You don’t wake up nearly as early as I do.
Now the wind is waking.
Tickle tickle on my cheeks,
rustle rustle through the leaves.
Birds untuck and start to coo,
Whooo whooo, you wake up too early, yes you doooo . . .

In sweet, melodic verse written from the perspective of the earliest riser, TOO EARLY follows a family’s morning routine, exploring both the groggy haze and the everyday magic inherent in the predawn hours of a loving household.

“This winning title invites readers into the morning routine of its characters. Readers may notice warm colors beginning to hint at the culminating sunrise that will conclude the book; before that, however, the quiet yet potent text engages other senses by describing rustling leaves, cooing birds, and, finally, the baby crying. Cozy, sumptuous, and stirring—the perfect way to greet the dawn.”
– Kirkus, starred review ★

Nora Ericson studied painting at Yale University and writing for children at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Originally from central New York, she now lives in Portland, Oregon, with two kids, two dogs, and two cats. Besides reading and writing, she loves cooking, tromping in the woods, and whittling spoons while daydreaming of her future miniature donkey farm. She’s also the author of Dill & Bizzy: An Odd Duck and a Strange Bird and Dill & Bizzy: Opposite Day. 
Elly MacKay is an internationally recognized paper artist and children’s book author and illustrator. She wrote and illustrated the picture books Red Sky at Night, If You Hold a Seed, and Butterfly Park, among others. The distinctive three-dimensional quality in her works is made by setting up layers of painted paper in a miniature theater. She lights the scene and photographs it to create her unique illustrations. MacKay lives in Owen Sound, Ontario, with her family.