34 Standout Titles, Including New Ones by Joanna Ho & Cicely Lewis | Starred Reviews, December 2023

The last month of 2023 saw some great books and multimedia offerings, which include holiday books, Spanish-language titles, and music.

inside art / The Gabi That Girma Wore (Adefris & Ackerman) ©2024 by Netsanet Tesfay
The Gabi That Girma Wore (Adefris & Ackerman) ©2024 by Netsanet Tesfay


 

Holidays

Ali, Marzieh A. A Ramadan to Remember. illus. by Najwa Awatiff. Soaring Kite. 

Blackman, Nailah. Love, Lah Lah. illus. by Jade Orlando. Knopf. 

Sobel, June. The Goodnight Train Easter. illus. by Laura Huliska-Beith. HarperCollins/Clarion. 

Tarantino, Kris. Be My Valenslime. illus. by Cori Doerrfeld. WaterBrook.

Yuksel, M.O. Ramadan Kareem. illus. by Hatem Aly. HarperCollins. 

 

Spanish Books

Colato Laínez, René. El señor Pancho tenía un rancho. illus. by Elwood Smith. Holiday House. 

Jungkunz, Mariel. El verde de mis sueños: Un cuento sobre la tradición de los Tres Reyes Magos. illus. by Mónica Paola Rodriguez. Astra. 

Martinez-Neal, Juana. Alma and Her Family/Alma y su familia. Candlewick.

Martinez-Neal, Juana. Alma, Head to Toe/Alma, de pies a cabeza. Candlewick. 

 

Picture Books

Adefris, Fasika & Sara Holly Ackerman. The Gabi That Girma Wore. illus. by Netsanet Tesfay. Little, Brown. 

Catchpole, James & Lucy Catchpole. You’re SO Amazing! illus. by Karen George. Little, Brown.

Ho, Joanna & Liz Kleinrock. Eyes That Weave the World’s Wonders. illus. by Dung Ho. HarperCollins.
 

inside art/ Imani Picks Up the Pieces (Lewis) ©2024 by Anastasia Magloire Williams
Imani Picks Up the Pieces (Lewis) ©2024 by Anastasia Magloire Williams


Transitional Books

Lewis, Cicely. Imani Picks Up the Pieces. illus. by Anastasia Magloire Williams. Lerner. 

 

Middle Grade

Abendanon, Lucille. The Songbird and the Rambutan Tree. Jolly Fish. 

Brennan, Linda Crotta. The Selkie’s Daughter. Holiday House. 

Moriarty, Jaclyn. The Secret of Lillian Velvet. Levine Querido. 

Wilfrid, Karen. Just LizzieHarperCollins/Clarion.

 

YA

Ibañez, Isabel. What the River KnowsWednesday Bks. 

Iloh, Candice. Salt the Water. Dutton. 

Rose, Elle Gonzalez. Caught in a Bad Fauxmance. Random/Joy Revolution. 
 

inside art/ Smash the Patriarchy: A Graphic Novel (Breen) ©2023 by Jenny Jordahl
Smash the Patriarchy: A Graphic Novel (Breen) ©2023 by Jenny Jordahl

 

Graphic Novels

Breen, Marta. Smash the Patriarchy: A Graphic Novel. illus. by Jenny Jordahl. Helvetiq.

Julve, Òscar. Nico y los dinos: Mi primer cómicBeascoa. 

Kurimoto, Kengo. Wildful. Groundwood. 

Yang, Gene Luen. Lunar New Year Love Story. illus. by LeUyen Pham. First Second. 
 

inside art/ On the Line: My Story of Becoming the First African American Rockette (Jones) ©2023 by Robert Paul
On the Line: My Story of Becoming the First African American Rockette (Jones) ©2023 by Robert Paul

 

Nonfiction

Brown, Daniel James. Facing the Mountain (Adapted for Young Readers): A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II. Viking. 

Broyles, Anne. I’m Gonna Paint: Ralph Fasanella, Artist of the People. illus. by Victoria Tentler-Krylov. Holiday House. 

Jones, Jennifer & Lissette Norman. On the Line: My Story of Becoming the First African American Rockette. illus. by Robert Paul, Jr. HarperCollins. 

Sweeney, Linda Booth. Apart, Together: A Book About Transformation. illus. by Ariel Rutland. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray. 

Towler, Paige. How It Happened! Pizza: The Cool Stories and Facts Behind Every Slice. Union Square & Co. 

 

Music

Buddy’s Magic Toy Box. Performed by Mega Ran. RandomBeats. 

FREADOM: Songs Inspired by Banned Children’s Books. Performed by Joanie Leeds. 

Kind People Are My Kind of People. Performed by Reggie Houston & Lori Henriques. 

Storytime. Performed by Davey K. 

Taste the Sky. Performed by Uncle Jumbo. 

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