The following picture books celebrate our world and beyond and how we interact with it. Each book is an excellent read and features eye-catching artwork. All synopses are provided by the publishers.
IMAGINE COUNTING ALL THE STARS, by Raewyn Caisley and Gabriel Evans, Candlewick, June 4, 2024, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 4-8)
Maddie takes comfort in counting daisy petals and the parallel lines of moonlight pouring through her bedroom blinds. She finds joy in patterns: the black-and-white keys on a piano, the tessellations in a brick pathway. Dad understands and encourages her love of math, but Maddie longs for a friend who marvels with the same enthusiasm she does. The other girls prefer dolls to building with shapes at playtime, and when they bake together, Maddie likes to measure, while the others decorate. Always the odd girl out, Maddie finally meets her match when Dad invites new classmate Priya and her mom along on a stargazing expedition to the observatory. The unfathomable number of stars takes Maddie’s breath away—and Priya’s. Perhaps one of them will discover a way to count all those stars one day! Heartfelt text and timeless illustrations tell a relatable story of finding the right friend at the right time and counting yourself lucky indeed.
LIFE AFTER WHALE: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall, by Lynn Brunelle and Jason Chin, Neal Porter Books, June 4, 2024, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 4-8)
All living things must one day die, and Earth’s largest creature, the majestic blue whale, is no exception. But in nature, death is never a true ending. When this whale closes her eyes for the last time in her 90-year life, a process known as whale fall is just beginning. Her body will float to the surface, then slowly sink through the deep; from inflated behemoth to clean-picked skeleton, it will offer food and shelter at each stage to a vast diversity of organisms, over the course of a century and beyond. Additional back pages offer further info and reading recommendations on whales, whale falls, and ecosystems.
DESERT SONG, by Laekan Zea Kemp and Beatriz Gutiérrez Hernández, Neal Porter Books, June 4, 2024, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 4-8)
As the blush of sunset gives way to night in the desert, coyotes, cicadas, and barn owls emerge, each calling out to the moon. Watching from their porch, the family joins the song. One by one, each relative offers their drums, flute, maracas, strings, and voices.
They sing with the insects, birds, snakes and toads; and they sing with their ancestors, an audience glittering in the stars overhead. With each strum of passed-down instruments, memories renew, and those gone are alive and near again.
Desert Song hums and chimes with all the music a front porch and the desert beyond can hold. Simultaneously published in Spanish as Canción del desierto.
BEACH HAIR, by Ashley Woodfolk and Nina Mata ,Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, June 4, 2024, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 4-8)
When I wake up with the wildest bed head
and Mommy and Daddy do too
Mommy says we all have beach hair,
so Daddy says, “Guess we should go to the beach.”
At the beach, everyone has beach hair. There’s twisty and twirly hair, flossy and glossy hair, hair that’s barely there, and hair that’s everywhere.
The best part about a beach day is the belonging and joy that everyone feels when they let their hair run as wild and free as the sea.
THE WORLD IN OUR BACKYARD, by Jami Gigot, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, May 21, 2024, Hardcover, $18.99 (Ages 4-7)
Show young readers that whether they live in the country, city, or suburbs, their backyard is a world full of wonder ready to be explored.
As children play together, a sandbox becomes a desert, sidewalk chalk drawings become an art gallery, and everything that can be dreamed up is within reach. From forests to hike and mountains to climb, oceans to sail and castles to build, creative little ones don’t have to look any farther than their own backyard for wonderful things to be discovered!
THERE’S A MOUNTAIN IN THIS BOOK, by Rachel Elliot and Genevieve Lacroix, Thames & Hudson, June 11, 2024, Hardcover, $19.95 (ages 6 and up)
Young adventurers undertake an intrepid journey to explore some of the mightiest mountains on Earth. From the foothills of the Alps to the peak of Mount Everest, readers will discover the diverse habitats of mountain ecosystems. Expedition logs encourage readers to use their senses to explore each location as they climb.
There’s a Mountain in This Book provides young readers with an immersive experience of breathtaking mountain environments. Visit forests and caves in the foothills of the Alps; canyons, lakes, and spectacular geysers in the Rocky Mountains; rainforest and moorland in the uplands of Mount Kilimanjaro; and the snowy glaciers and icefalls of the Himalayas. Discover remarkable flora and fauna, including mighty bears, snowy leopards, and even a rare cave-dwelling salamander with no eyes!
Using die-cut flaps and gatefold pages, the book details how mountains are formed, shows a cut-through of the interior structure of a mountain, and describes the effects of changing seasons and climates on mountains in different parts of the world. Illustrated in color throughout.
Copyright © 2024 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.
