Be an Ambassador
Books and other kidlit stuff we love right now.
It’s been a long week, friends. IYKYK. But we love our kidlit community and the books you all put out in the world. So in the vein of being ambassadors, as inspired by Kate Messner, here are some of books and kidlit stuff that we love right now.
(Affiliate disclosure: We earn a percentage of sales from the links in this post.)
Recently Read
Ways to Make Friends, written by Jairo Buitrago and illustrated by Mariana Ruiz Johnson
Vicky: I stumbled across this one at a recent event at KinderBooks in Vancouver (which is an adorable bookstore with wonderful people!) The cover art pulled me in, and I was delighted by the story. With cute and charming illustrations, the book gives tons of ideas to make friends (as promised) in a way that makes it clear that there are lots of paths to friendship—as well as it being perfectly okay to spend time with yourself. Plus, it’s from a Vancouver-based publisher, which was new to me!
Nunu and the Sea, by Isabella Kung
Isabella and I are both part of the Soaring20’sPB group, so I always get a peek at her books, but this one is particularly stunning. Her story about a young girl’s journey through overwhelming emotions is illustrated with gorgeous artwork and fantastic imagery of origami.
The Good Little Mermaid’s Guide to Bedtime by Eija Sumner and Nici Gregory
Christine: this one came out a little while ago but my friend Laura recently showed it to be and it is hilarious! I love this little ferocious mermaid who doesn’t want to go to bed. You can read more about this book as well as Eija’s thoughts on the current events in kidlit here.
Axolotl-Ella: A Sort-of Cinderella Story by Kate Messner and Lian Cho
And one more: sticking to the underwater theme is an upcoming release that comes out on June 2. I just read the ARC via NetGalley. Lian Cho’s illustrations are brilliant! I am a sucker for fractured fairytales and retellings and Kate Messner’s writing is hilarious. Plus she sprinkles in lots of axolotl facts throughout the story.
In Our TBRs
Wish I Was a Baller, written by Amar Shah and illustrated by Rashad Doucet
Vicky: I met Amar at a conference (maybe NCTE) before he was published, and I’ve been excited to see his books showing up all over the place ever since! This graphic novel has been on my TBR list for a while because I love coming-of-age stories and this one sounds fascinating, sharing Amar’s real-life story of his experiences as a 14-year-old sports journalist. I’m sure I’m in for a great read.
Christine: I have a ridiculous number of books on my TBR! Let me pick one…
I’m on a novel in verse reading kick and I’m about to start reading Renée Watson’s All the Blues in the Sky. It’s about a 13 year old who loses her best friend and how she navigates that loss and all the shades of grief.
Upcoming Releases
Jia Has a Dog Problem, written by Stephanie Ellen Sy and illustrated by Isabella Kung
Vicky: I’ve already established that I’m a fan of Isabella Kung, but I also love Stephanie Ellen Sy (You Can’t Tame a Tiger, A Roof!)—so I can’t wait for their upcoming book together. This one also resonates with me because my younger son is afraid of dogs. When Stephanie told me about this story about a girl who is afraid of dogs, I realized so many books are about kids loving and wanting dogs, but not about being scared of them—which many kids are! I think it’s a great premise for a picture book and Isabella’s illustrations look fantastic. It releases on Tuesday, so go find a copy!
Christine: Vicky stole my pick! Great kidlit minds think alike!
Instagrams to Follow
Ainissa Ramirez (@ainissaramirez)
Vicky: I had the pleasure of meeting Ainissa before she was published as a children’s book author when I was teaching at the Science and Nature Writing retreat at Highlights. Since then, her debut picture book, Spark: Jim West’s Electrifying Adventures in Creating the Microphone, has come out and she has several more books coming. Ainissa is instantly impressive and and her books highlight Black innovators in STEM. What I appreciate about her posts is that she’ll talk about her books (she has more coming soon) but also mix in additional facts about Black innovators. I mostly follow her on LinkedIn, but I see that she cross-posts to Instagram as well!
Maddie Frost (@maddiefrost)
Vicky: I’ve often wondered why Maddie Frost doesn’t have more followers because she is hilarious, but it’s been growing and I bet it’s going to explode with her next book, Really Rubie. I particularly love her comics about her daughter, who she represents as a bird.
Christine: I’m excited for Maddie’s book! And thank you for the intro to Ainissa‘s work.
Substacks
Christine: One of the good things to come out of this week is that I was introduced to Afoma Umesi’s work. I’m always looking for new books for my reluctant middle grade reader and Afoma Umesi’s substack is full of great ideas. I just upgraded to paid so I can download and use her Summer Reading Guide.
Over to you
So many books to rave about, but that’s just a peek for now! Any books or other kidlit things you’re excited about at the moment? We’d love to hear.
I've been reading the WHO I WAS WITH HER by Nita Tyndall, a YA novel with LGBTQIA+ rep, nonlinear storytelling, and purposeful "bad" grammar. It may be one of my favorite books ever, and I'm only halfway through!
Thanks for the recommendations and for being great ambassadors. I especially appreciated both Eija Sumner's feisty mermaid book (which was new to me and is inspiring another draft in my current picture book struggles!) and her super thoughtful post.