It's finally camping season! Join Fatima and her family on an adventure in the forest in this charming and beautifully illustrated picture book, based on the author's own childhood. The joy in this book is contagious.
Kate
Jonny Sun has the amazing ability to write about anxiety in a way that makes you feel settled, and loneliness in a way that makes you feel less alone. From scrambled eggs to plants to jazz to the end of the world, these illustrated essays are deeply personal but encompass the universal. They made me laugh, cry, contemplate life, and breathe a little deeper.
Kate
I was torn between staff-picking this and Stefano Mancuso's fascinating new book, The Nation of Plants. (You should really pick them both up for a great pairing of books to make you contemplate the wonder & wisdom of intelligences other than our own.) In the end, Linda Hogan's writing won out--both earthy and elegant, and full of passages that I've dogeared to read for the rest of my life. Happy spring!
Kate
I remember holding back tears in the store when I first read this touching picture book, based on the author's own relationship with his grandfather. But don't worry, it won't make kids cry!! It's driven by vibrant, action-packed illustrations by Caldecott award winner Dan Santat. Flip it open, and you won't be able to put it down :)
Kate
Charlie Vega will absolutely charm you. Her voice is smart, funny, and heartbreakingly honest, and ALL of the relationships in this book--between mothers and daughters, best friends, and, yes, an incredibly sweet love interest--are so well-drawn. I wish high-school-me could have read this book!
Kate
I've been reading this day-by-day since it came out in April. Each season, month, and day offers its own small but fascinating insight into the natural world. It's been such a balm to be able to mark 2020 in moments of wonder instead of just dates. Plus, it's full of beautiful illustrations by Jeremy Collins, one of my favorite artists to follow (@jer.collins on instagram!). A great gift for the nature-lover in your life!
Kate
The finale of Rebecca Kim Wells's Shatter the Sky duology is even more exciting, smart, complex, and (most importantly) full of dragons! Missed the first book? It's Porter Square Books's 2020 Staff Pick of the Year, so you can currently pick them BOTH up for 20% off!
Kate
This story about an okapi-talist whose pursuit of profit ravages a community--and the noodle-loving animals who come together to stop him--feels appropriate for October 2020. Packed with puns, delicious food, cute creatures, and heart. Kids and adults alike should give it a read.
With a deft hand, Strelow weaves together three compelling stories, spanning a century and set in the grandeur of the Pacific coast. Her prose is gorgeous, especially the way she lovingly renders the natural environment (including the titular birds). This is a book about both finding ourselves as individuals and the ways in which we are connected to the larger world around us. I adored it.
Kate
Linda Hogan, the current Chickasaw Nation Writer in Residence, is (in addition to being an incredible writer) an environmentalist, historian, and activist. These facets all shine through her newest poetry collection. A History of Kindness examines the violence that has been done to the American landscape and its peoples, and responds to it with beauty, compassion, and hope. If you enjoy Mary Oliver or Braiding Sweetgrass, or if you just need a book to feed your spirit and anchor you to the natural world right now, pick this one up.
Kate
