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Recommended for Kids

Chunky

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Chunky by Yehudi Mercado
Format: Graphic Novel
Who it’s for: Kids

Young Hudi is overweight. He’s been plagued by health issues, and his family’s doctor encourages him to lose some weight. His parents decide he should try out for a sport, so he’ll get more exercise. Hudi would rather tell jokes or draw, but his parents insist, so he chooses baseball. After all, Babe Ruth was overweight, and he was one of the greats! But he’s still really nervous about it. In pops Chunky to the rescue! Chunky is a red furry monster, who introduces himself as Hudi’s imaginary mascot. He will always be there to cheer Hudi on, as long as he’s trying his best. He just wants Hudi to be happy!

It turns out Hudi is going to need a lot of cheering on, as he moves from baseball, to soccer, to swimming, to tennis, to football, leaving a string of minor disasters in his wake. Hudi doesn’t seem to be cut out for sports, and struggles to make friends. In addition, his family is going through some stuff, as his dad has lost his job, and they don’t have a lot of money for Hudi’s sister’s bat mitzvah. Chunky has his work cut out for him, helping Hudi to be himself, and make good choices.

This fun, colorful, semi-autobiographical graphic novel should appeal to fans of books like Smile by Raina Telgemeier, New Kid by Jerry Craft, or El Deafo by Cece Bell. It handles some tough issues, like body image, and bullying, in a light-hearted way, and any reader will wish they had their own Chunky to believe in them when they really need it.

Find Chunky in our catalog.

The Passover Guest

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The Passover Guest by Susan Kusel
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids

The Passover Guest, written by Susan Kusel, and illustrated by Sean Rubin, is inspired by the classic story The Magician, and the art of famous painter Marc Chagall. It takes place in depression-era Washington D.C. It’s spring, the cherry blossoms are blooming, and it’s the first night of Passover, the Jewish holiday celebrating the exodus from Egypt. A young girl named Muriel is concerned. Her father, like so many others, has lost his job. They don’t have enough money to buy food for the seder, the traditional Passover meal, not even a cup of wine for Elijah, the prophet who is symbolically invited to every Passover seder. As she dejectedly makes her way home, she meets a peculiar stranger at the Lincoln Memorial. He performs a magic trick, and Muriel gives him the only penny left in her pocket.

When Muriel arrives home, she finds her family dressed in their finest clothes, with nothing on the table. There is a knock at the door. It is the man Muriel gave her last penny to! He asks if he can join in their seder. As they begin to explain they have nothing to share, a feast suddenly appears on their table! Muriel’s family is astounded, and apprehensive about eating food that wasn’t there moments ago. Muriel runs to ask the Rabbi what they should do. The Rabbi accompanies Muriel to her family’s home, along with most of their friends and neighbors. When they arrive, the stranger is gone, but the feast remains. The Rabbi declares it a miracle, and the whole community enjoys Muriel’s family’s seder together. In all the excitement Muriel remembers the mysterious stranger… and notices not a drop remains in Elijah’s cup of wine!

This magical holiday story was the recipient a Sydney Taylor Award this year; a well-deserved win for an exceptional book!

Find The Passover Guest in our catalog.

Southwest Sunrise

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Southwest Sunrise by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Wendell Minor
Format: Book
Who Its For: Kids

Jayden is a New York City boy through and through. He does NOT want to move to the New Mexico desert with his family, not even a little. Already missing the skyscrapers and the familiar sonic background of the city, he expects this desert to be a “place of shadows”, all “browns and tans”, which does not appeal to him at all! However, Jayden is a curious boy by nature and the brilliant gift of a field guide from his mom prompts this desert newbie to begin exploring. He finds beauty enough to be grateful for in the colorful flowers, trees, rocks and wildlife, and begins to think that, just maybe, he could call this place home after all.

Nikki Grimes’ gorgeous poetic language is stunning, and the watercolor illustrations are beautiful (I LOVED the emotion in the picture of Jayden on the plane). Any child who has ever had to move or is facing an unwelcome move will certainly relate to this lovely book.

Find Southwest Sunrise in the catalog.

Words to Make a Friend

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Words to Make a Friend
By Donna Jo Napoli and Illustrated by Naoko Stoop
Format: Picture Book
Who’s it for: Kids

Words to Make a Friend is a story in Japanese and English.

On a snowy day one little girl who just moved in watches another girl playing in the snow. She finds her snow gear and gets dressed up warm to go outside too.

“Hello,” says her new friend. “Konnichiwa,” she says and they both smile. “Lets play!” “Asobou!” From that point on, the girls take turns saying words and practicing each other’s words. They encounter a woodpecker, Peck peck. Kotso kotso. A roly-poly or botteri. Otherwise known as a snowman, and lots more. They spend the afternoon making snow creations and naming them, each in their own language. It’s fun! Soon they go in for some treats and crafting.
These two don’t find the language barrier a problem. They are new friends!

Find Words to Make a Friend in the catalog!

 

 

The Last Cuentista

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The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids, Tweens, Teens

Halley’s Comet is on a collision course with Earth. Petra Peña, an aspiring storyteller, does not want to leave her abuelita behind, but she and her family are among the select few who have been chosen to take to the stars.  Petra, her parents, and her little brother will spend the next 380 years in stasis learning everything they need to know to survive on their new planet. They will be humanity’s last hope. When Petra is awakened from stasis, however, she finds that her ship has been taken over by the Collective. They have reprogrammed everyone and erased all memories of Earth.  Petra is the only one who still remembers her home world, her family, and all of their cuentos.  She must use her stories of the past in an attempt to secure mankind’s future.

The Last Cuentista was just selected as the winner of the John Newbery Medal as well as the Pura Belpré Award. It was one of TIME’s Best Books of the Year and the Wall Street Journal’s Best of the Year, among others. I understand why. This book was full of storytelling magic. Despite some unexpected dark twists and turns that were a bit shocking, this was a beautifully told story. It combines science fiction, Mexican folklore, and a dystopian future. It is definitely one to add to your reading list!

Find The Last Cuentista in our catalog

The Snowy Day

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The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Format: Picture Book
Whose it’s for: Children

Winner of the 1963 Caldecott Medal and The Library of Congress’s Books that Shaped America award.

A young boy named Peter awakens to find that while he was sleeping, snow has piled up outside his window. Peter puts on his red snowsuit and heads outside for a winter adventure. Peter makes snow angels, snow balls, and marvelous tracks in the snow. All the things a child would do when their city is blanketed in snow. Young children will relate to Peter and his wintery adventures, where snowbanks seem like like mountains waiting to be climbed, and snow so deep it’s hard for little legs to walk through.  Like Peter’s desire to play with older children, young listeners are reminded that sometimes you are just too small and you’ll have to wait until you get bigger.

While reading The Snowy Day to a child, it’s hard not to reminisce about your own fun childhood memories of playing in the snow. Peter’s adventures are familiar, realistic and oh so charming! Children and adults will appreciate Ezra Jack Keats simple story and beautiful illustrations. Share this story with a child, talk about your own snowy memories and ask them about theirs. Then, on the next snowy day, head outside and have an adventure, just like our beloved protagonist Peter.

In 2020, The New York Public Library announced that The Snowy Day was the most checked out book in the 125 year history of the Library!

In 2017 the U.S. Postal Service issued a collection of Forever stamps featuring four images from The Snowy Day.

 

Find The Snowy Day in the catalog.