Reading Roundup: August 2015

By the Numbers
Picture Books: 28
Early Readers: 2

Sources
Library: 30

Standouts
Writing: The New Small Person by Lauren Child
Has it been done before? Yes, of course. Is it still relevant? Totally. Lauren Child brings her sympathetic realism to the timeless story of a big brother who really would rather NOT be a big brother, thank you very much, until he starts to see some of the advantages of having another small person around.
Illustration: Help! We Need a Title! by Herve Tullet
Another wildly imaginative story with interactive illustrations from my favorite French picture-book author.
Overall: One Family by George Shannon
With a multiplicity of races, ages, and genders shown in the pictures and a repeating refrain that we are all one family, this is a book I'm going to keep on display.

Because I Want To Awards
Brought Me to Tears: I'm New Here by Anne Sibley O'Brien
Three kids from different parts of the world all arrive in the same classroom, feeling silenced and lonely with the language barrier. Sharp eyes will catch Fatima's sorrowful backstory in the illustrations, but you needn't share it with kids who aren't quite ready.
It's Not All Satin: I Want to Be a Ballerina by Anna Membrino, illustrated by Smiljana Coh
Longing to be just like big sis, a little girl learns that you have to master certain skills in order to do the tutu justice. I loved that she is shown struggling to master these skills in order to be ready for class, a familiar feeling for many young kids trying to master their bodies.
Just Made Me Laugh Out Loud: Nuts in Space by Elys Dolan
This may become my go-to guy for sly, kooky, tongue-in-cheek picture books.