Animals of the Chinese Zodiac by Teresa Robeson

As a child, I remember going to a Chinese restaurant with placemats holding the animals of the Chinese Zodiac and the small descriptions about people born under each one. I fall under rat, which I wasn't really happy about. What kid wants to be a rat? Today's read centers around the chinese Zodiac and should explain what it is to readers. So, cultural goodness marks these pages.

Let's open it up and see what each one is about.

ANIMALS OF THE CHINESE ZODIAC

An Illustrated Guide to the 12 Signs

by Teresa Robeson

Illustrated by Ping Zhu

Phaidon

Middle Grade Nonfiction

64 pages

ages 6 and up

COMING OCTOBER 15th!!!

The ultimate guide to the Chinese Zodiac, featuring fun facts, frame-worthy illustrations, and a choose your own adventure-style quiz to find your perfect zodiac match!

GOODREADS      /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

With a bit of story and a dive into each of the Chinese Zodiac animals, these pages leave readers with a general idea of what each one stands for.

The book begins with a lively introduction into the Chinese Zodiac and gives general insight into how it works and what meaning it holds. Then, there's a short tale surround the Great Race and the Jade Emperor. This tale holds a special touch, since it's laid out like a mini graphic novel and spreads out wide thanks to a folding page on either side. Then, there's a list of the animals and the birth years as well as an explanation surrounding the elements, which can add extra twists. After that, each animal receives a large, two-page spread illustration with the Chinese name as well as the English. The next pages offer a quick insight into the personality people under the animal are said to possess as well as a few fun bits of information. 

The author keeps this book light and fun, making sure gentle humor accompanies the scenes. The information is short and sweet, and makes sure to add insights which fit nicely to the intended age group. The entire time, the author invites readers to learn about each animal and consider which one fits the reader's personality best...even if it doesn't match up with the birth year. In other words, every person is an individual and doesn't necessarily fall into a certain category.

The illustrations are bright and bold the entire way through. The animals carry a cartoon direction and are always active and cheerful. The text fits well to the age group and steers clear of growing heavy or long. It's just right to pick up, search for certain animals, grab a few facts, and set down to pick up again another time. 

And here they are...

Teresa Robeson is a Chinese-Canadian-American author of children's books, and an artist, with a focus on science, nature, and her cultural voice and heritage. Her work has won the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association Picture Book Award, a National Council of Teachers of English Orbis Pictus Recommendation, and an International Reading Association Nonfiction Picture Book Honor, plus other awards, lists, and starred reviews.

Ping Zhu is a Chinese-American artist based in Brooklyn, whose work is frequently seen in The New York Times. A graduate of ArtCenter College of Design, in 2013 she received the ADC Young Guns award. Her children’s book debut, The Strange Birds of Flannery O’Connor: A Life (2020), was selected by The New York Times as one of the Best Children’s Books of the year.

Bitsy Bat, Snow Star by Kaz Windness

Today's read is the third in the series, and it's the first one I've read. I find the little bat on the front so cute and love how it looks snuggled up in all that winter wear. It might also be the snowflakes and snow angles winning me over, though. I do love my snow. Either way, I'm ready to see what this sweet bat is up to and can't wait to join in on its little adventure.

So, off we go!

BITSY BAT, SNOW STAR

by Kaz Windness

Beach Lane Books

Picture Book

48 pages

ages 4 to 8

COMING OCTOBER 27th!!!

Bitsy Bat experiences her first snow and discovers it’s okay for friends to not always like the same things in another charming follow-up to Bitsy Bat, School Star from Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor–winning author-illustrator Kaz Windness.

When Bitsy wakes up to see her first-ever snowfall, she’s excited to try out wintry activities with her friends at school. But sledding turns out to be harder than she thought, and making snow angels and snowmen leaves her feeling cold and wet. Bitsy tries to pretend she’s having fun…until a friendly snowball fight pushes her over the edge.

She retreats inside the school, worried her friends won’t like her anymore once they find out she doesn’t love the snow like they do. But a surprise is waiting for her—Enzo Owl and Mo are inside too! They don’t like snow either and would rather read in the cozy nook. Bitsy comes up with an indoor activity for a snowy day—making paper snowflakes—that just might give her the courage to be honest with her friends.

This third story in the Bitsy Bat series is told from an autistic perspective and celebrates how our differences make each of us shine brightly on our own and among friends.

GOODREADS      /      PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Bitsy's adorableness hooks readers in while the situations she faces carry a familiarity to touch the heart.

Bitsy wakes up to find snow outside...the first snow she's ever seen! Her friends are heading outdoors to play, but Bitsy's family is getting ready to hibernate instead. With a little help from her friends, Bitsy gains permission to play for this last day in the snow. She's bundled up and ready to join in on sledding, snowballs, and more. But things are harder than she expected, and she's losing layers of cosy warmth on the way. Finally, she's simply freezing and wants to go inside, but doing so might hurt her friends' feelings.

Bitsy's friendly and kind personality grabs right away and makes her easy to like from the very first page. Her family and friends are also enjoyable to meet and have only the best for her in mind. It's fun to watch her friends do their best to get her ready for the snow...the excitement radiates from the page. The snow scenes lure in with familiar fun, and it's hard not to want to join in. Many readers will also understand Bitsy's hesitation to admit that she doesn't want to play outside anymore as she's afraid it might disappoint her friends. The desire to keep friends happy is one that many readers can identify with. But this group of friends makes even these struggles solvable and creates a warm story through and through.

The text flows very smoothly to make a lovely read-aloud. It balances nicely with the illustrations to let the story come to life on both fronts. Each scene comes to life with plenty of details to have readers coming back to gaze at them on their own. There's a sense of warmth in each scene, which matches the wholesome atmosphere of the tale, too.

At the end of the book, there are a few pages with terms and explanations to help raise awareness for those with autism and make various aspects more understandable. This aspect is also done with care and comes across nicely.

And here she is...

Kaz Windness is the author-illustrator of picture books Swim, Jim!; Bitsy Bat, School Star; Bitsy Bat, Team Star; and Bitsy Bat, Snow Star. She created the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Level 1 Ready-to-Read Graphics book Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends, and its sequel, Worm and Butterfly Are Friends, Always; the Star Chapter Book Time Traveling Chickens series; and the Level 1 Ready-to-Reads Cat vs. Vac; Go! Go! Dino!; and Squid in Pants. Kaz is also the illustrator of Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea by Andrew Hacket and the author of When You Love a Book, illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee. Kaz lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, two children, and Boston terrier. Visit her at WindnessBooks.com.

Amazing Answers for Curious Kids Space Edition by Ross Austin

I'm always happy to get my hands on some juicy, nonfiction, and this read promises tons of space goodness. I'm hoping it will be interesting and give a few bits of information that readers might not have run across before. 

Let's open it up and see what these pages hold!

AMAZING ANSWERS FOR CURIOUS KIDS

 SPACE EDITION

by Ross Austin

Beyond Why Press

Middle Grade Nonfiction

94 pages

ages 6 to 12

Amazing Answers for Curious Space Edition

Why do planets orbit the Sun? What would happen if you dropped a hammer and a feather on the Moon? How do astronauts go to the bathroom in space? And what does it actually feel like when a rocket launches?

Amazing Answers for Curious Space Edition turns the questions children genuinely wonder about into 84 fascinating space discoveries they can understand, remember, and want to explore further.

Designed for curious kids ages 6–12, this full-color book explores the Solar System, planets, stars, black holes, rockets, astronauts, and the universe through clear explanations, vivid visuals, surprising facts, and questions that encourage kids to think before discovering the answer.

Older readers can explore independently, while younger readers can enjoy the questions, pictures, and discoveries with a grown-up.

More Than Just a Book of Facts

Guess Kids get to think, wonder, and choose an answer before discovering what science says.Clear Big ideas are explained with clear language, relatable comparisons, and everyday examples.Go Surprising facts, new science words, diagrams, illustrations, and vivid full-color visuals make each discovery even more memorable.Carefully Science is explained accurately and thoughtfully while remaining engaging and age-appropriate.Questions Kids Really Ask

How do astronauts go to the bathroom in space?What would happen if you dropped a hammer and a feather on the Moon?What does it actually feel like when a rocket launches?And those are just three of the 84 questions waiting inside.

Perfect For

Curious kids who are always asking “Why?” and “How?”

Independent readers ages 8–12

Younger readers ages 6–7 exploring with a grown-up

Kids fascinated by planets, rockets, astronauts, stars, and black holes

Homeschool and classroom reading

Screen-free learning and discovery

Birthday, holiday, and educational gifts

This isn’t a dry textbook or a collection of disconnected facts. It is designed to help kids wonder first, discover the answer, understand why it happens, and want to know even more.

Give a curious child a book that takes their questions seriously — and opens up an entire universe of new ones.

84 big questions. Clear answers. Full-color discovery. One enormous universe to explore.

GOODREADS     /     AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

With a grabbing format, these pages invite readers in and introduce many facts without ever growing boring.

I was wondering if this format would work or not when I first picked this book up, and I was happily surprised. At the beginning, there's a quick introduction as to how this book works. Each page holds a question (84 total) with four possible answers listed. Right after that, the correct answer is given. Then, it dives into the 'amazing answer'. This consists of a few short paragraphs, which dive right into the topic and give deeper explanations. There is also a vocabulary term on the page as well as as 'amazing fact', which is delivered as a short and sweet bit of information. All of the questions are divided into themes (moon, rockets & space travel, searching for alien life, and so forth) in the Table of Contents, and each question is marked with the associated page for easy finding purposes. So, this is a book to pick up and discover here and there over time.

This question format is a fun way to add a little interaction with the reader, but it's the Amazing Answers, which I found well done. While some information will already by known by some readers, other facts will surprise. The author never speaks down to the reader but delivers the facts with the needed depth while keeping everything understandable for the age group. And it hits interesting topics. For example, the reason for twinkling stars mentions particles in the atmosphere and the direction/blockage of rays of light. So even 'knowers' of space facts will find something they didn't know before.

There are plenty of clear and colorful photos to support the information and broaden readers' understanding of space. There are also illustrations, diagrams, and such included to assist with explanations as needed. Still, none of this grows heavy, either. Instead, the information is delivered quickly, interestingly, and then, left to discover the next question. This keeps the information light despite the depth and will hold the attentions of those, who aren't thrilled by pure facts after facts. 

This is a well done read for anyone wanting to learn more about space, and that in a broad variety of directions. It's great for individual readers, classrooms, and homeschoolers, too.

When Dark Worlds Rise by Zena Shapter

 Today's read is the last in the World of Palude series, one that I've actually read from the very beginning. So far, this has been a very rich world and packed with imagination. It's walked a line between high-tech and fantastic monsters to give it an unique atmosphere as well. I've been looking forward to see how everything finally comes together. So, off we go!

WHEN DARK WORLDS RISE

World of Palude Series

by Zena Shapter

MidnightSun Publishing

YA Fantasy  /   Science Fiction

400 pages

ages 16+

Always be alert. Be ready. In a fractured world overrun by giant water-ants and deadly trees, where vicious tree cats prowl the night for prey and people kill for technology, it’s hard enough to live, let alone love. Sala is torn between protecting her friends, or risking everything to save another.
But when a stranger seeks them out, and a justifiable temptation calls to her, the stakes rise higher than Sala could possibly imagine. What she craves can only lead to her downfall, along with everyone and everything around her. No amount of sacrifice will stop the poison of lies and betrayals now set to bring the explosive world of Palude to its limits. Trust is overrated. Courage is only the beginning. The greatest enemy always hides within.

NewSouth Books

MY TIDBITS

Danger lurks everywhere, and it's not only a extremely deadly, eager monsters that these characters need to beware of.

Sala and her friends have found a fairly safe haven and have managed to rummage a few pieces of valuable tech together, something which is rare. Unfortunately, Kai hasn't returned from his mission to speak with the elders of a nearby large settlement. And while he isn't too much later than he claimed he'd be, Sala refuses to wait to see if he's okay. As soon as the drone is repaired, she wants to head off on her own to fetch him, but her friends spoil her plans and end up accompanying her. As they make their journey, they notice that everything is off. People are gone, bridges purposefully blocked, and an odd silence settles in the air. When Sala finds giant ants preparing to attack the settlement, she speeds forward and not only reunites Kai but finds the town unprepared to protect itself. Worse yet, the leaders don't seemed overly concerned about the looming destruction. Soon, Sala and her friends step into an entirely new level of betrayal, intrigue, and danger...and this one threatens to destroy everything.

These friends have come a long way since the first book, but there is still quite a bit to be settled. This final installment pulls everything together in with tension, high-stakes, and grace. While the already very deadly creatures promise constant harm, Sala and her friends find themselves up against a more difficult enemy. Secrets are exposed and evil intentions come to light. Every moment grabs as she's forced to decide what she is really ready to sacrifice. Then, there is betrayal, and the waters of who to trust grow murky, too. So, nothing is clear, keeping the reader wondering the entire way through.

This last book rounds off the series in a thrilling and satisfying way, and leaves a bit of food for thought as well.

And here she is...

Zena Shapter is a multi-award-winning author, youth writing competition judge, and high school English tutor whose students told her exactly what they wanted to read – escapist stories that resonate with their fears about being unheard, misinformation, the world they’ll inherit, the constant threat of war... and Australian property prices! So she rolled all that into the thrilling carnivorous tree swamp World of Palude! When not writing, Zena loves movies, frogs, chocolate, potatoes and living with her family among Sydney’s beautiful Northern Beaches. Her website at zenashapter.com lists more of her incredible award-winning fiction.

No-Love Potion by Christina Shawn

Witches and cauldrons...isn't that Halloweeny? When I saw this one, I was immediately drawn to that sure-of-herself, small witch and the pink hearted steam with 'No' underlined. She definitely isn't giving me romantic love vibes...not in a picture book. So, I'm super curious to see what this little witch is up to. 

Let's look inside and find out!

NO-LOVE POTION

by Christina Shawn

Illustrated by Merry Miller-Gass

The Little Press

Picture Book

36 pages

ages 4 to 8

A funny and heartfelt witch picture book about friendship, feelings, and the unexpected magic of love.

Bettina is not into Valentines. Or hearts. Or any of that ooey-gooey love-stuff.
She’s into serious magic.

With her cauldron bubbling and her ingredients lined up—bat wings, beard hair, and just the right amount of gloom—Bettina is brewing her most powerful spell yet: a No-Love Potion.

But when Ingredient #9 unexpectedly hops into her heart, everything changes. Suddenly, her potion doesn’t look—or feel—like what she planned. Could a little love be the most magical ingredient of all?

Full of humor, heart, and hocus-pocus, No-Love Potion is a whimsical picture book about discovering friendship and letting others in—even when you’re certain you don’t need them.

Perfect for fans of A Spoonful of Frogs and A Witchling’s Wish this enchanting children’s book is:
A playful Valentine’s Day picture book for kids who love magic
A charming Halloween story about witches and friendship
A timeless read-aloud for any season

GOODREADS    /    PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

With nods towards Valentine's Day, this read visits the potion making skills of a spunky witch and twists the magic of forming friendships on its head.

Bettina is a witch. A real, potion-creating witch. One thing she really can't stand is lovey-dovey moments. So, she decides to create a no-love potion to keep these icky feelings far away. For everyone. Luckily, she's very good at what she does and has all the right ingredients. One after the other, she tosses them into her boiling cauldron, but then, a slimy addition with a sticky tongue causes issues.

This is a cute, enjoyable tale, which adds quite a bit of silliness and sweetness into the darker magic of potions creations. Actually, it's almost only adorable and fun, but the illustrations hold dim tones with enough shadows to let the black cauldron and its boiling brew come across with an eerie edge. Still, this cute witch is anything but creepy. As she tosses in her ingredients, the rhymes create read-aloud fun, while the scenes show each object with a touch of humor. When the frog gets involved, smiles and giggles are sure to come as it gives its best to stay alive. It's exactly that type of frog which is sure to win over a few listeners' hearts. 

The message surrounding kindness and forming connections is loud and clear, and gives this read all sorts of warmth and goodness. It's fun to watch the witch go through the process of being sure of what she believes to be true, discovering something unexpected, and then, fighting with the possibility that she was wrong. All of this, of course, is slid under the lovely silliness and cute characters.

While the entire read brings a smile to the face, there was a small aspect that had me wondering—what about the grumpy warthog? Somehow, I feel sorry for him. But that's all I'm going to say, since this one is worth picking up and listeners should discover the rest themselves.