For: The Budding Bibliophile

The Bookshop Girl
Written by Sylvia Bishop
Illustrated by Poly Bernatene

The Joneses have just won the Great Montgomery Book Emporium in a contest, and it’s every book lover’s dream! But the previous owner is hiding something that could destroy absolutely everything for the Joneses. Property Jones has a whopper of a secret too—and it might just be the key to saving her family and their bookshop from the clutches of a nasty villain.

Readers will fall in love with Property Jones and her cantankerous kitten side-kick as well as the beautiful descriptions throughout the story, and they will be in awe of how magical bookstores can be. Read an excerpt here.

Ebenezer Has a Word for Everything
Written by Chelsea H. Rowe
Illustrated by Frank Dormer

No one seems to understand Ebenezer’s work collections, but his efforts are finally appreciated when he meets Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald doesn’t have a word collection—but he does have lots of ideas. Together, they can make stories.

Ebenezer and Fitzgerald demonstrate the creative ways in which words, and language as a whole, can expand and evolve through collaboration with others. For the future storyteller or wordsmith in your life, show your budding bibliophile how fun words (and stories) can be when with a friend. Read an excerpt here.

Miguel’s Brave Knight:
Young Cervantes and His Dream of Don Quixote
Written by Margarita Engle
Illustrated by Raúl Colón

This fictionalized first-person biography in verse follows the early years of the child who grows up to pen Don Quixote, the first modern novel.

Available in both English and Spanish, this moving picture book shows young readers the importance of “never quitting their daydreams.” Miguel’s story is a reminder that passion and personal belief in oneself can go a long way, especially on the side of creativity and hard work. Read an excerpt here.

The Cheshire Cheese Cat:
A Dickens of a Tale
Written by Carmen Agra Deedy & Randall Wright
Illustrated by Barry Moser

In this playful homage to Charles Dickens, unlikely allies learn the lessons of a great friendship. Take a trip back to Victorian England with an alley cat named Skilley and an erudite mouse, Pip as they are drawn into a crisis of monumental proportions that threatens the peace not only of the Cheshire Cheese Inn but also the British Monarchy!

With its playful puns, entertaining and well-rounded characters, and delightful illustrations, The Cheshire Cheese Cat will make any young reader a lover of language and stories. Young readers will be flipping through the pages to learn the how Skilley and Pip’s conclusion unveils in the end. Read an excerpt here.

Find these titles and more at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble. Still looking for more great ideas? Our 2018 Holiday Gift Guide has even more gift recommendations for your little readers this holiday season!

To: The Fairytale Fanatic

We’re kicking off our gift guide round-ups with some of our “fractured fairytale” titles that any young fairytale fanatic will love. Regardless if your reader knows the classics, these picture books are sure to delight even the biggest fairytale fan. Quirky characters, enchanted tales, and wickedly good fun await!

A fun new spin on the traditional tale of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” author-illustrator Alex Latimer brings us this fun and quirky twist. Tim is the only one who sees the strange things going on in the house. And no one believes him! To prove his parents wrong—and lighten his chore load—Tim plans to uncover the stealthy perpetrator.

This picture book will have your children giggling at the zany fun. There are even time-traveling monkeys involved! Share the gift of this outrageous tale and inspire your kids to concoct their own adventure this holiday season.

Read an excerpt here.

Prince Ribbit

 

Fairy tales are just stories—or so Princess Martha believes. But when her sisters meet a talking frog, they’re convinced that giving him the royal treatment will turn him into Prince Charming. Smart and spunky Martha sets out to expose the talking amphibian for what he really is—a cunning, but ordinary, frog. As Martha tries to convince her sisters that “just because it’s in a book doesn’t mean it’s true,” she might end up learning that lesson for herself! Charming good fun, Johnathan Emmett’s story of uncovering the truth is beautifully crafted with bright, quirky illustrations by Poly Bernatene.

Kids will love learning what it means to double check the facts and trust others in this fantastical spin on the classic “The Frog Prince!”

Check out the activity sheets to continue the fun!

 

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale

 

“Martina the beautiful cockroach doesn’t know coffee beans about love and marriage.”

When Martina the cockroach is ready to choose a husband, her grandmother gives her some shocking and unexpected advice. After watching potential suitors fail her abuela’s Coffee Test, Martina wonders if she will ever find true love. But what happens when she offers the last suitor some café Cubano? Illustrator Michael Austin captures this fantastic Cuban folktale in gorgeous fashion, making the pictures as enjoyable as the words on the page.

Get lost in the richness of Carmen Agra Deedy’s take on the classic Cuban tale during the holidays with a copy of this unique rendition, available in English, Spanish, and audio. You may look at cockroaches differently when you’re done!

Read an excerpt here.

Rapunzel

 

Rapunzel isn’t like the others. She’s may be small but she’s curious, exceptionally clever, and definitely not easily frightened. Join daring Rapunzel on her quest to outsmart the witch and free herself (no males rescuers needed here)! Bethan Woollvin’s captivating twist on a classic fairytale, with eye-popping and fun illustrations, is perfect for any fearless reader.

Make the holiday season memorable by fueling their love of strong, spunky, and independent characters. Treat your kids to this wickedly good story! Read an excerpt here.

If you love the empowering twist in Rapunzel, be sure to check out Woollvin’s equally feisty Little Red, a 2016 New York Times best-illustrated children’s book! Read an excerpt here.

Find these titles and more at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble. Still looking for more great ideas? Our 2017 Holiday Gift Guide has even more gift recommendations for your little readers this holiday season!