Time for Bed, Miyuki

Time for Bed, Miyuki | Avery and Augustine
Time for Bed, Miyuki | Avery and Augustine
Time for Bed, Miyuki | Avery and Augustine

“With a rain of gold on silver hills, the sun offers its last light before leaving for the night.”

Night is falling and Grandpa tells Miyuki that it’s bedtime but she’s “busy playing and trying to push back time.”  She thinks of one more thing — which turns into a long string of “one more things”— that she needs to finish preparing for tomorrow.  Illustrator Seng Soun Ratanavanh’s art and palette are some sort of wonderful otherworldly dream.  Time for Bed, Miyuki is an enchanting, poetic tale to settle down with at the end of the day.  One of our favorites published this year.

Time for Bed, Miyuki was written by Roxane Marie Galliez, illustrated by Seng Soun Ratanavanh and published by Princeton Architectural Press.  It’ll be out on September 18.

Trevor

Trevor | Avery and Augustine

Little Trevor is in need of a friend and he finds a steadfast one in a lemon hanging on the end of a branch near his cage.  An endearing tale of unique and unexpected friendship.

Trevor was written by Jim Averbeck, illustrated by Amy Hevron and published by Roaring Brook Press.

Loretta’s Gift

Loretta’s Gift | Avery and Augustine
Loretta’s Gift | Avery and Augustine

Things are abuzz with anticipation and excitement — Aunt Esme and Uncle Jax are expecting a baby and Loretta is out to find the perfect gift for baby Gabe.  Loretta struggles to come up with something special, but eventually she learns that sometimes the best gifts are the intangible ones.  A sweet and heartfelt story.

Loretta’s Gift was written by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Alea Marley and published by Little Bee Books.

The Squirrels’ Busy Year

The Squirrels’ Busy Year | Avery and Augustine
The Squirrels’ Busy Year | Avery and Augustine

In this lovely introduction to weather changes and seasons, we follow a pair of squirrels as they scamper about and scuttle up and down trees, spending time with their owl friend throughout the year.  Richard Jones’ illustrations sing with gorgeous color and texture.  It’s a great first science book for budding naturalists and little ones learning about seasons, science and the world around them.

The Squirrels’ Busy Year was written by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Richard Jones and published by Candlewick Press.

You and Me, Me and You: Brothers

You and Me, Me and You: Brothers | Avery and Augustine
You and Me, Me and You: Brothers | Avery and Augustine
You and Me, Me and You: Brothers | Avery and Augustine

Sibling relationships are—in a word—complex.  Love, hate, joy, friendship, animosity, unity, strife, annoyance (deep, deep annoyance at times) co-exist in a complex quilt—the kind you look at in wonder about how its squares of diverging and contradictory colors and patterns are supposed to work together.  In the end, they do somehow, maybe even just because by default they’re stuck together, and will be for the rest of their lives.   Miguel Tanco speaks to the relationship between two brothers in YOU AND ME, ME AND YOU: BROTHERS.  Its text and illustrations are simple yet nuanced and the book captures the dynamics and contrary aspects of a sibling relationship in a sweetly funny, whimsical and endearing way.  It’s a winner.

You and Me, Me and You: Brothers was written and illustrated by Miguel Tanco.  It’s been translated into eight languages so far and this US edition will be published by Chronicle Books on November 13.