News & Reviews

A TRUE TALE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP Levine Querido (pub. 4.7.2026) 48 pages Ages 4 - 8 Author: Jenn Bailey & Sherry Bushue Illustrator: Pamela Zagarenski Character: Marcel Marceau Overview: "Marcel was born in 1923 in the French city of Strasbourg. He was drawn to the flickering images of Charlie Chaplin in the movies, and he had a gift for imitating the birds around him, the people, and even the wind! But his safe, creative childhood was shattered by the advent of World War

How One Curious Woman Connected Carbon Dioxide and Climate Change A TRUE TALE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP Quill Tree Books (Harper Collins Publishers) (pub. 1.13.2026) 40 pages Ages 4 - 8 Author: Jen Bryant and illustrator: Amy June Bates Character: Pauline Baynes Overview: "From a young age, Eunice Foote’s natural curiosity led her to learn more about how the world worked. What makes milk turn to butter? Why can I see my breath when it’s cold? Why are there different kinds of

How Harriet Tubman Rescued Her Brothers A TRUE TALE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP Abrams Books for Young Readers (pub. 1.13.2026) 40 pages Ages 4 - 8 Author: Glennette Tilley Turner Illustrator: Laura Freeman Character: Harriet Tubman Overview: "Harriet Tubman was always a keen observer. She learned to use the North Star for a compass, to tell time by the stars, and to find her way by natural signs as well as any hunter could. She could navigate dense forests, locate waterways in t

The Story of Joan Baez A TRUE TALE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP Beach Lane Books (Simon & Schuster) (pub. 2.24.2026) 48 pages Ages 4 - 8 Author: Monica Brown Illustrator: Molly Mendoza Character: Joan Baez Overview: " From a young age, Joan Baez knew she wanted to make the world a better place. The daughter of immigrants from Mexico and Scotland, she learned values of compassion and advocacy from her parents. As Joan learned about people in need around the world, she sang to make

The Colorful Story of Cyndi Lauper A TRUE TALE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP Atheneum Books for Young Readers {Simon & Schuster) (pub. 4.21.2026) 40 pages Ages 4 - 8 Authors: Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville Illustrator: Brigette Barrager Character: Cyndi Lauper Overview: "Before Cyndi Lauper was the larger-than-life icon we know today, she was a boisterous little girl who had a hard time fitting in. But she knew she had something amazing to share with the world. She just ne

How Septima Clark Led the Civil Rights Movement to Justice A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N T OP Quill Tree Books (Harper Collins) (pub. 1.27.2026) 40 pages Ages 4 - 8 A uthors: Yvonne Clark-Rhines with Monica Clark-Robinson Illustrator: Abigail Albano-Payton C haracter: Septima Clark O verview : " Septima Clark was born poor, Black, and a girl. Being one of those things in 1898 was hard, but all three meant that access to education was going to be a fight. But with stron

The Story of James Boggs and Grace Lee Boggs A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N T OP Carolrhoda Books (Lerner) pub. 11.4.2025 40 pages Ages 7 -11 A uthor: Sun Yung Shin & Melina Mangal Illustrator: Leslie Barlow C haracter: James Boggs and Grace Lee Boggs O verview : " James Boggs was a worker from rural Alabama in the segregated South. Grace Lee Boggs was a philosopher from urban Rhode Island and New York City. Both found their life’s work, and each other, in Detroit. James

The First Woman to Stand on Top of the World A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N T OP Union Square Kids (pub. 2.10.2026) 48 pages Ages 5 and up A uthor: Elyssa Gavin Illustrator: HifuMiyo C haracter: Junko Tabei O verview : " Fourteen climbers from the Ladies Climbing Club in Japan begin their climb up Mount Everest. Junko Tabei, a mountain climbing pioneer—the woman who formed the group —faces many hardships as she leads them: frigid temperatures, gusting winds, an avalanche,

How Marie Procai Kept the Ukranian Art of Pysanky Alive A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N T OP Calkins Creek (Astra Books) 2.10.2026 48 pages Ages 7 -1o A uthor: Sandra Neil Wallace Illustrator: Evan Turk C haracter: Marie Procai O verview : " As a new immigrant to America living in Minneapolis, Marie Procai felt homesick and alone—she missed her homeland, Ukraine. She took comfort in the ancient Ukrainian art of making pysanky, intricately decorated eggs for Easter, an art

The World's First All-Woman Anti-Poaching Unit A TRUE TALE WITH A C HERRY O N T OP Millbrook Press (Lerner Publishing) pub. 4.1.2025 40 pages Ages 6 - 10 A uthor and photographer: Kelly Crull C haracters: The Black Mambas O verview : " The Black Mambas, South Africa's first women-led anti-poaching unit, is unlike any other: they carry no weapons. Instead, they keep animals safe with frequent patrols and a keen eye for footprints, snares, and other clues that poachers are nea