Pajama Press

“This padded storybook with sturdy cardstock pages follows a mother’s persistent efforts to get her sleepy ‘grumple’ out of bed in the morning. Allenby’s intermittently rhyming text traces the mother’s escalating actions, which involve singing ever-louder…Gauthier’s naif collages sweetly emphasize the warmth between parent and child (they resemble a cross between a panda and a squirrel), even when the little one’s eyes are squeezed tight in a desperate attempt to hang onto sleep a little longer.”

Read the full review in the January 30 issue of Publishers Weekly

On Multicultural Children’s Book Day we are pleased to celebrate books written by or in collaboration with people of various cultures. Knowing this collection should be larger, we encourage submissions from authors and illustrators from every background.

This is the fourth year running for Multicultural Children’s Book Day mission is to raise awareness for the children’s books that celebrate diversity, and to get more of these books into classrooms and libraries. You can find out more about this very important initiative here.

Here are some of our titles that we recommend to those looking to introduce new, diverse books to their bookshelves.

Peach Girl by Raymond Nakamura, illustrated by Rebecca Bender

Adrift at Sea by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch and Tuan Ho, illustrated by Brian Deines

Moon at Nine by Deborah Ellis

Next Round: A Young Athlete’s Journey to Gold by John Spray

Last Airlift: A Vietnamese Orphan’s Rescue from War by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

One Step at a Time: A Vietnamese Child Finds Her Way by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

Pajama Press is thrilled to announce that Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess by Shari Green is a Junior Library Guild 2017 Selection.

The Junior Library Guild “is a book review and collection development service helping thousands of school and public libraries acquire the best new children’s and young adult books, saving them both time and money….Our services help librarians with collection development and our members trust us to put only the best books into the hands of their eager young readers.” For more information, please visit the Junior Library Guild website.

Pajama Press extends our congratulations to Shari Green. Our sincerest thanks go to the Junior Library Guild for promoting reading through this outstanding program.

“My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book offers a peak inside a child’s mind. The questions a child must have about parents and a failing marriage. Still young enough to believe in magic and miracles, but too young to fully understand marriage, the reality of divorce, or the ailments of the human body.

A dream for better things and hope of understanding that “leaving” doesn’t mean someone doesn’t still love you.

I loved the cover art. I chose the book based solely on the title and cover art. I was surprised by the story when I started reading it. I was expecting summer fun, beaches, candy, and all things happy-happy. That’s not this book. It had everything except the happy-happy.

For any child reading the story, it is a way to gently explore some of the changes many children face today. I think the author did a great job with the story….”
—Aunt Meanie

Click here to read the full review

Elliot by Julie Pearson, illustrated by Manon Gauthier

“Elliot’s parents love him, but they don’t know how to take care of him. When a social worker name Thomas comes, Elliot’s world turns upside down….”

Going for a Sea Bath by Andrée Poulin, illustrated by Anne-Claire Delisle

“When Leanne complains that bath time is boring, her father has some excellent, terrific and spectacular ideas…This title is also available in French as Un bain trop plein!”

Sky Pig by Jan L. Coates, illustrated by Suzanne Del Rizzo

“Ollie the pig wants to fly. Jack would do anything to make Ollie happy.”

The Hill by Karen Bass

“After a night on the hilltop, the teens find everything in the forest has subtly changed… and the plane has disappeared. Even worse, something is hunting them.”

“Toddler-PreS–What to do with tots who don’t like to wake up in the morning? Do you tiptoe carefully around them, or do you wake them up with a tickle and a song? Allenby and Gauthier address this very issue with a patient mother fox who knows just how to coax her own little ‘grumple’ out of bed….Gauthier’s mixed-media and paper collage illustrations are quiet in tone, emphasizing that this is one fox who just wants to sleep. Tinges of taupe, cream, brown, and heather gray are shaded across the pages. The small size, soft padded cover, and sturdy card stock pages make this suitable for lap sharing. VERDICT Consider for medium to large picture book collections that serve a heavy toddler and preschool population.”
—Lisa Kropp, Lindenhurst Memorial Library, NY

Read the full review in the February 2017 issue of School Library Journal

“For many decades, wolves were absent from Yellowstone National Park. About 20 years ago, captured wolves from Canada were reintroduced into the park by environmentalists….Beautifully illustrated by the author in watercolor and color pencil, each spread brims with the diversity of animals, plants, and insects presently thriving in Yellowstone. Young ones will enjoy the positive takeaway, and the picture book format makes a complex story accessible and usable in a wide range of early education classes. VERDICT Valuable for children for its affirming environmental message and to counteract the ‘big bad wolf’ image of these necessary predators.”
–Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, formerly at Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY

Read the full review in the February 2017 issue of School Library Journal

“Eleven-year-old Bailey and her brother Kevin are spending the summer with grandma Nana Marie while their parents go to Marriage Repair camp….After rescuing a beached dolphin, Bailey realizes that she can resolve some situations by her own actions, but must accept those she has no control over. This title is written in free verse, with dialogue written in italics and spacing used to indicate new voices. All of these techniques enhance the rich descriptions of the ocean setting and present a realistic story to the reader. Recommended.”
—Josie Stanmyre

Read the full review in the January/February 2017 issue of School Library Connection

“…Written in light and lyrical free verse, Shari Green’s warm and wistful novel brings Bailey face to face with both hard and beautiful truths about growing up and growing into her own ability to shape the world.

…This is the first time I read a book in verse and I simply loved it. Although I no longer read middle grade fiction with my kids (they’re teens now) I will read a middle grade book from time to time if it catches my interest. This one did right from the start….

…I was impressed at how easily the author developed such unforgettable characters using free verse, all while building a great plot with excellent pacing.

I know I would have loved this book as a tween, and I highly recommend it. It’s delightful and poignant and one of my favorite books so far of 2017.”

Click here to read the full review

“A grumpy man fights a rainstorm and other pedestrians but learns a lesson when his umbrella goes flying. Pithy poetry pairs with artful illustrations in this Canadian import, translated from the French….Arbona’s fantastical illustrations play with perspective, shape, and pops of bright color that enliven scenes primarily composed of black, gray, and white. Buquet’s text is translated into well-crafted verse by Woods. Memorable and instructive without a hint of didacticism.”

Click here to read the full review