Here is a fantastic primer for young children on the issues surrounding climate change. It takes a comprehensive look at how the earth began, developed and changed, and how humans have impacted the world throughout history. A helpful timeline runs through the book to help children place these events in sequence. Bright and bold illustrations tell a story that support the text and engage the reader. The book quickly reaches the present day, to show the ways in which humans have had the most impact on climate change. While highlighting the problems of climate change, this book also works to show the scientific discoveries that have helped, and are helping, to slow this change. The book also emphasizes what people, especially young people, are doing to change our habits and campaign for better treatment of the earth. Hopeful but realistic, this book is a great starting point for young children to learn about the world they live in.

Family history can make for some of the most delightful bedtime stories. Sisters Anna and Antonia Ortiz are too excited to sleep. In the morning, they will get on an airplane with their family to visit their Abuela on her farm in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico for the very first time. While their baby brother Miguel gets his diaper changed, the girls implore their Mami to recount the story of El Lechón Chencho, a dear friend from Mami's childhood. Mami finally acquiesces, filling the girls' minds with visions of Abuela's farm in preparation for their upcoming trip. Cheerful, digitally rendered illustrations set the stage for this delightful story. Using intentional color and design, readers are transported to a Puerto Rican farm surrounded by a verdant landscape and native flora. While most of the images utilize blocks of solid color, shading and occasional textures add depth to the pictures. The excitement the girls feel in anticipation of visiting their Abuela is palpable in their demeanor as they jump unabashedly on their beds with their suitcases lying in wait on the floor nearby. Each spread is divided, featuring a large image on one side with ample dialogue and narration on the other. Due to the quantity of text, this story is best suited to readers with longer attention spans, but its direct and action-focused presentation increases the book's accessibility. Spanish words are included frequently within the narrative and stand out in italics from the surrounding text. While there is no glossary included, these words are immediately translated into English as an innate element of the story. No matter a reader's understanding of Spanish, this tale of a heroic, larger-than-life pig is an enjoyable addition to libraries for young children.

From Israeli author-illustrator Taltal Levi, "Meet Me by the Sea" opens on a child, who feels ready for adventure, and their parents, who are too busy to notice. Not one to let a challenge stand in their way, the child leaves a note by the door and sets out on their own towards their "favorite place." Beautiful pastel tones depict equally stunning rivers and woods on the child's path towards the sea. Levi's detailed drawings add excitement to this simple story; the birds and animals create a sense of depth and character, as does the overnight scene in the center of the book. Alone in the dark, the child models bravery and independence as they roll out their sleeping bag and prepare for a night in the woods. The child's bravery is rewarded—thankfully—with a gorgeous sunrise and a special, cuddly surprise that has joined them overnight. The joy of this scene continues through the end of this short picture book until, finally, the child's parents meet them by the sea. Although the vocabulary in this book is quite advanced for its length, it would be an excellent sample text for a kindergarten or first grade lesson on scientific exploration. The social-emotional potential also abounds, providing caretakers and educators points of departure for conversations on bravery, independence, and loneliness. A soft-spoken marvel.

A walk in the woods provides ample opportunity for an African American brother and sister to explore their feelings in this gentle, family-centric adventure story. Rosa and Travis are enjoying a walk with their mother when they spy a baby rabbit dark into its burrow. Observing that it's "very dark" in the hole, Travis asks whether it is scary. His mother reassures him that the hole is the bunny's home, a "very, very nice place" where she lives with her family. As such, it isn't scary to her. The pattern is set—the children see an animal, ask about its scary-seeming home, and receive reassurance from their mother—and it is repeated as the observant children encounter a squirrel in a tree, a frog in a swamp, a fish in a pond, a baby deer in the woods, a baby goose in the sky, and a bat in a cave. Finally, it is time for the family to return home. After a bedtime story, it's time to turn out the lights. Travis wonders if being in the dark will be scary, but big sister Rosa reassures him, and it's "Good Night" time for everyone. Hamilton demonstrates a keen understanding of the mix of curiosity and concern many young children feel as they have new experiences in the world around them. The illustrations are created with a soothing palette of browns, golds, and blues. This gentle picture book is especially well-suited for sharing as a bedtime story read-aloud; observant children will be thrilled to see that this book makes a cameo appearance as the bedtime story read to Rosa and Travis by their mother, and that many of the animals the children have observed appear in a poster on the children's bedroom wall. This celebration of curiosity, family, and the home is recommended for public libraries and family collections.

Answer the call and get ready to drive the fire truck, with this steering wheel-shaped board book! The reader is in the role of a firefighter who is getting the fire truck ready when a call comes in about a fire in the neighborhood. Push a button on the dashboard and a siren on the top of the truck blares, so that cars on the road move out of the way and the fire truck can pass. Check for traffic before going straight through the center of the city. Press the button to honk the horn and turn left at the light. Park the truck near the fire, pull out the ladder, and get the hoses to put out the flame! The firefighting team works hard to keep the people safe! Colorful and detailed illustrations of the inside of a fire truck's dashboard, the streets of a city, and other trucks and cars, along with the shape of the book are sure to engage young truck enthusiasts. Readers can pretend to press the button on the radio, press go, press the button for the horn, turn on the sirens, and extend the ladder. The firefighters illustrated in the book are diverse in skin color and gender. An interactive and exciting read for young children.