Customer Comments

This is a great story, and very unique. I've not previously encountered a story about a child whose parent drives a long-haul truck. The story itself is very heartwarming, and I learned a bit of the world of trucking along the way.

This is a very sweet story, perfect for a child and family experiencing divorce or another significant change. The relationship between child and papa is very tender and endearing. The overarching message, “Some things can’t be fixed so they're just like before. But we can make something new, together” is meaningful for anyone experiencing an uncomfortable transition or loss. An excellent addition for libraries, classrooms, and personal collections.

With lyrical language and stunning illustrations, The Sea Hides a Seahorse engages young readers from the opening page with a gentle invitation to find each cleverly camouflaged seahorse and learn more about these fascinating creatures. The information-rich back matter provides specific actions to protect seahorses and their marine habitats and additional resources for those interested in a deeper dive. This poetic picture book is highly recommended for home and classroom collections and school/library story time settings.

I absolutely loved this book. It has so many layers. The alphabet format will appeal to the youngest of readers; the counting element will appeal to readers that are a bit older; and the message will (or should!) resonate with ever reader who cares about our planet. I look forward to gifting this book to the young readers in my life.

This is such a fun book. Two unlikely friends, Sloth and Squirrel, work together to try to raise enough money for a bike that Squirrel wants to ride. They get a job at a pickle plant, and things get a little slippery from there. The job has challenges that will give young readers a giggle. I suspect the solution to these challenges will cause kids to begin asking for pickles at home, so parents of young readers had better stock up. A fun read for kids and kids at heart.

This is such a timely and compelling book. I'm embarrassed to admit that this particular civil rights story was unfamiliar to me, and I'm so glad to become acquainted with it. Reading about Elizabeth's Jennings fight for streetcar rights (and learning that this fight took place more than one hundred years before Rosie Parks' fight that went all the way up to the Supreme Court), put the more familiar Rosie Parks story into even clearer light. The illustrations in this story are rich with detail and emotion. Beth Anderson and E.B. Lewis have created an important book that should be read by all.

I really enjoyed this book. I knew nothing about President Lincoln's family life, and I appreciated learning about his son Tad and the relationship they shared. For me the book further illuminated why Lincoln was so successful as a leader, particularly during a time of great conflict. He clearly had compassion, empathy, and patience, and the ability to see people as whole human beings. The story made me want to learn more about Tad, and more about this aspect of President Lincoln. This story would especially appeal to young learners who themselves are restless in traditional learning environments, and/or those with learning disabilities or difficulties with verbal communication.

This lovely bedtime story brought back memories of sleepovers at my grandmother’s house. I loved being there and together with her, but the night sounds at her house were so much different than those at my own home, and it was difficult for me to settle down and feel comfortable enough to sleep. Janet Costa Bates’ text is soft, soothing and inviting, and AG Ford’s illustrations are cozy and gentle. The concept of readying an old house for bed (bringing down the shades, switching off the lights, etc.) is a clever twist on a familiar routine. I especially like the part where the child character, Isaac, is “reading the pictures” of a bedtime book to the old house and to Grandpa—who of course promptly falls asleep himself! A perfect book to prepare a young child for their first sleepover away from home, and also a really lovely addition to any bedtime book collection. Grandparents will especially love having this story close at hand.

This picture book about mindfulness is absolutely beautiful. Gabi Snyder’s text is soft and soothing. It makes you want to lean in and listen. Stephanie Graegin’s lovely illustrations draw you into scene after scene of multi-cultural children and adults going about the ordinary business of their day. The experiences are at once familiar, and yet completely fresh and new, because the focus is on the sounds that one might encounter in each of those moments. I can imagine a teacher or librarian reading this book to a group of boisterous children that soon quiet with rapt attention, and I can likewise envision this story being read by a parent at bedtime, setting the stage for a new way of engaging with the world come morning. The back matter provides additional information to help readers distinguish between hearing and listening along with definitions for particular auditory experiences. A particularly strong addition for social emotional learning/SEL collections.

This beautiful book was my very first introduction to the Japanese Star Festival, or Tanabata Matsuri. The story follows a young girl and her mother and grandmother on the day of the festival. Many cultural customs and artifacts are woven into the gentle, inviting text, (and additionally, the rich back matter), such that I’m hopeful for the opportunity to experience this festival myself some day! I was immediately drawn to the book’s cover and found the interior illustrations compelling throughout. I highly recommend this engaging, multigenerational story for home and professional collections.

This book is an absolute hoot. I giggled as soon as I opened the front cover and saw the endpapers—Brandon James Scott's illustrations are hilarious throughout. Kristi Call's text is filled with clever puns and fun wordplay that young readers will absolutely love. I predict this will be one of those books that kids in a story time setting (or on a lap) will join in with the mixed-up animal sounds (and the child-character’s eye rolls), and then say, “Again!” as soon as the story is over.

I loved this sweet book. The text is soft and gently rhyming. The clever verses gradually ramp up to show the mounting frustration of a “not sleepy baby” in a humorous way. The illustrations are really cute, with lots of fun details. This is going to be one of my new go-to’s for a baby shower gift and/or new baby gift book.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! From the stories behind the first manned balloon flight and the origins of the bicycle, to the birth of robotics and everything in between, readers with even a moderate bit of curiosity about how everyday “things that go” originally got moving will be captivated from cover to cover. Vivian Kirkfield approaches each chapter as a story to tell, with plenty of intriguing personalized details—but not so much that it ever feels bogged down. Some of these details are woven into the main story, and others are incorporated into visually pleasing sidebars. Speaking of the visual aspect of the book, Gilbert Ford’s illustrations throughout are at once slightly vintage and yet very fresh and modern. I was immediately drawn in to the book by Ford’s illustrated timeline—and seriously, how fortuitous is it to have a book about the origins of vehicular motion illustrated by someone with the last name Ford?! Kirkfield uses clever, inviting language throughout, and with each page turn, I found myself wondering, “Where did she find so many fascinating details and factoids?” When I reached the end of the book, I discovered a robust bibliography that fully answered that question. So, whether you choose to walk, ride, or drive to Powell's I highly recommend you get moving and get your own copy of this engaging and informative book for young (and not so young!) readers.

I love feel-good stories inspired by true events, and this is one of those stories. In THE WEED THAT WOKE CHRISTMAS, author Alayne Kay Christian artfully retells the story of a weed that grew in a crack in a traffic median in Toledo, OH, and how it became the site of an outpouring of kindness, charity, and community connection. Christian's text is crisp and rhythmic—perfect for reading aloud. Polina Gortman’s illustrations are colorful, inviting and reflective of a diverse community. I suspect this story will inspire many a reader to tend and care for "the overlooked" in the spaces and places around them, and likewise reconsider that which we label as weeds. I highly recommend for holiday collections and themed book kits about kindness and community activism. This book will also be well-received by fan’s of Mona Caron’s “artivism,” particularly her WEEDS Project. (Fun fact: Portland, Oregon, where Powell's Books is located, has the smallest park in the world, Mills End Park, with a single planting and a likewise storied history.)