Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Kick Push, an illustrated book that runs with enthusiasm to kids 6 and up

A book that reaches out and grabs the nape of your neck is a rare thing. It’s not something that you’re expecting as it slams your senses, wakes up your eyes, and takes you on a trip to a place that you’ve never been before. Kick Push is an illustrated book that lovingly yells at you until you pay attention. At first, it seems like that manic, out-of-control student whose only goal is to distract the teacher from the lesson of the day. But then, after you spend a couple of pages with Kick Push you realize that it’s a picture book that’s unlike anything you’ve seen before and will challenge you in all the right ways.

Kick Push is an illustrated book that screams at just the right volume. It grabs readers’ attention, makes them curious and entertains, all while teaching a lesson.

Kinetic action in a book that teaches a lesson

Tilda Tries Again, fabulous art and guilt-free fun on never giving up

There a couple of ‘feelings’ books that are out there for the illustrated book audience, and they all aren’t created equal. If you’re new to the emotional book game or simply want to dig into some books that place an equal balance on entertaining, as well as the message then you need to read the series by Tom Percival. Tilda Tries Again is in the Big, Bright Feelings book series. It’s an oversized illustrated book that deals with emotions that any kid experiences.

Tilda Tries Again by Tom Percival is a brilliantly illustrated, succinctly worded and a go-to for elementary kids who need to know it’s normal to try again.

This art and the words are more than the sum of its parts

Revver The Big Race Home, still ripping doughnuts for elementary school

Revver The Speedway Squirrel was one of the mid through early middle school comfort reads released in 2021. The premise about a squirrel and how he’s able to communicate with humans, in addition to not getting squished by cars going 150 miles an hour is inherently interesting to elementary school kids. It’s Frogger, but in a kidlit friendly way that makes you root for the squirrel and the humans. Revver The Speedway Squirrel: The Big Race Home sees our favorite squirrel traveling with the race crew. Reluctant elementary school readers unite because this book continues the folky, adventuresome tales of a rodent with a shade tale and a penchant for speed.

Back for more reluctant reading elementary school fun

Birdie’s Billions, realistic fiction ages 9 and up already think about

You need to read this book. I love it when our 12 year-old says something like that. When he does, he usually follows it up with some sort of qualifier like, it’s really good, the chapters are funny or some other attribute before going off to find his phone. He read Birdie’s Billions in just under a week before saying that to me. My inner-dad voice was telling me to be wary of his recommendation.

Birdie’s Billions is realistic fiction that will hook in readers who normally don’t dig this genre. It’s fun, real and centers on something they all think about.

MGLIT that makes kids think, even if they don’t admit it

Fox, A Circle of Life Story is timeless, illustrated book gold

Think of one of Salt N’ Pepa’s biggest hits, but replace the word ‘sex’ with the much less salacious word ‘death’. Now, let’s talk about death. Then, make the book as much, if not more about life, and you’ve got a great overview of one of the best-illustrated books of the year, Fox: A Circle of Life Story. Also, much like D.J. Spinderella song, its misdirection makes people think it’s mainly about one thing but instead gets them thinking, or talking about something that otherwise might be challenging or off-putting.

Timeless,-and an easy entry into your ‘forever’ library

Sonny Says Mine!, a lesson to learn and fun to be had

Board books have a baby reputation. Granted, it’s deservedly so unless I start seeing elementary school readers chewing on pages. Every board book is aimed at small children, yet their content can vary from simple concepts to an early introduction to quantum physics. Sonny Says Mine! is an interesting book because its page thickness is more board book, than an illustrated book, but has more in common with poster board than anything else. The content in the book is more narrative than most illustrated books and is certainly complemented by the book’s large pages. The result is an early illustrated book that offers pre-K and elementary ages a big kid book, that softly teaches them behavior that will behoove them as they gather around bigger groups.

Sonny Says Mine! is a happy and lively, thick-paged illustrated book for pre-k and K readers as they go onward from board books.

herein lies The Cuteness between board books and illustrated books

Legacy, a collection of poems educators will love, and students will like

Our last encounter with Nikki Grimes was in Southwest Sunrise. As someone who typically doesn’t like poems, I referred to it as stealth poetry. That book is an illustrated book but has text that’s more poetic in nature. With Legacy, Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance, the literary cat has officially left the bag, because this is 100% poetry, and that’s OK. That’s what Stuart Smalley would say. Legacy is a poetry book that’s bite-sized in nature, allowing even those poetry adverse people to enjoy it. It accomplishes this by holding your hand as you read some classic poems from the Harlem Renaissance, as well as, some new poems from Grimes that were created using the Golden Shovel technique.

Legacy is a collection of vintage poems, as well as new ones by Nikki Grimes that highlight women poets of the Harlem Renaissance.

It’s Accessible poetry, really

A Most Clever Girl, a great mix of art and words on Jane Austen

There are books that kids want to read and those others that parents or educators want them to read. A Most Clever Girl, How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice is a fascinating illustrated book because it straddles the line between the two very well. Jane Austen’s books are the stuff that high school students dread reading. Sure they are classic books, lauded by teachers, and have two centuries of weight behind them. However, her books have very little relevance to most casual readers and those tween readers that are forced to read them. On the contrary, A Most Clever Girl, How Jane Austen Discovered Her Voice is a fun book that shows younger readers how entertaining and (gasp) fun her books are, especially when viewed through the prism of 1800.

Make kids want to read Jane Austen, we dare you