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“Beginning with the statement “My dad is a superhero,” a young boy shares information about activities engaged in by his father, an American soldier stationed in what looks to be the Middle East. The boy’s simple narration and the pencil-and-watercolor illustrations make it clear that the superhero status doesn’t come from a fantasy (e.g., flying through the air, X-ray vision) but from the very real actions soldiers perform daily in the course of duty#133;Another nice tweak is Hardin’s focus on the activities of the military parent, while many other authors tend to focus on the childâ€™s activity while the parent is away.” &mdash Booklist

Hero Dad

Illustrator:

Bryan Langdo

Age Level:

3-6

Hero Mom

Illustrator:

Bryan Langdo

Age Level:

3-6

Sharon G. McBride is an U.S. Army veteran of 13 years, and has completed three deployments since 2003. As a photojournalist, the author documented events of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Hurricane Katrina. As the single parent of a three-year-old toddler, she wrote My Mommy Wears Combat Boots based on her personal experience in addressing her child’s negative feelings associated with her deployments.

My Mommy Wears Combat Boots

Age Level:

3-6

Memorial Day

Age Level:

6-9

“Biden, wife of the Vice President, watched for a year as her granddaughter, Natalie, dealt with the deployment of her father to Iraq. Using Natalie’s experiences as a springboard, Biden chronicles what life is like for a child with a parent fighting far from homeAs always, Colón’s scratchboard-style art, rendered in watercolor and colored pencil, invites a closer look. Here readers will see how faith and community help military families. The excellent back matter gives readers myriad ways that both adults and children can help military families in their owncommunities.” — Booklist

Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops

Illustrator:

Raul Colón

Age Level:

6-9

“In this quietly compelling story, a boy idolizes his older sibling and tries to imitate him in everything, from learning basketball to helping to fix his old car to giving their mama compliments. Because college costs too much, the big brother joins the army, resulting in feelings of pain and loss for the family members left behind. However, the narrator carries on, helping his younger brother shoot baskets, complimenting Mama on Sundays, and trying to fill the huge void left by his eldest sibling’s absence.” &mdash School Library Journal

My Big Brother

Miriam Cohen

Illustrator:

Ronald Himler

Age Level:

6-9

Mr. and Mrs. Portly and their Dog, Snack

Sandra Jordan

Illustrator:

Christine Davenier

Age Level:

6-9

Frank O. Gehry, Outside In

Jan Greenberg, Sandra Jordan

Age Level:

6-9

Chuck Close, Up Close

Jan Greenberg, Sandra Jordan

Age Level:

6-9

The Chinese-American girl introduced in Round Is a Mooncake (2000) and Red Is a Dragon (2001, both Chronicle) counts her favorite things. In bouncy verse, she engages in activities with her multicultural friends and family…A glossary gives two-sentence explanations for the Asian elements, from Eight Immortals to mahjong tiles, adding versatility and ethnic interest to the book without intruding on its simplicity. — School Library Journal

One Is a Drummer: A Book of Numbers

Roseanne Thong

Illustrator:

Grace Lin

Age Level:

3-6

Ten Days and Nine Nights: An Adoption Story

Yumi Heo

Age Level:

3-6

“A restaurant owner and his son lose their clientele when a new superhighway bypasses their street. When a poor man comes to them one evening, they gladly serve him a fine meal for pay. Before leaving, he gives his hosts a paper crane which will be a living, dancing bird when they clap their hands. The dancing crane brings crowds to the restaurant and prosperity to the kind owners as well as a joyful surprise to readers at the story’s end. In the color pictures, one sees everything in three-dimensions, an artistic effect created by lovely collages and paintings.” — Publishers Weekly

The Paper Crane

Molly Bang

Age Level:

6-9

In this lively concept book a little girl discovers a rainbow of colors in the world around her. Red is a dragon in the Chinese New Year parade, yellow are the taxis she sees on her street, green are jade bracelets and the crunchy kale growing in her garden. Many of the featured objects are Asian in origin, but all are universal in appeal. With rich, boisterous illustrations, a fun-to-read rhyming text and an informative glossary.

Red Is a Dragon: A Book of Colors

Roseanne Thong

Illustrator:

Grace Lin

Age Level:

3-6

Genre:

Fiction

Maggie’s Chopsticks

Alan Woo

Illustrator:

Isabelle Malenfant

Age Level:

3-6

Genre:

Fiction

Spring has arrived and Xiao Ming can’t wait to spend the day in the park with his mother. All around them are signs of the season: insects flying, leaves on the trees, and flowers in bloom. Xiao Ming’s mother teaches Xiao Ming how to write the words for these things in Chinese by first drawing pictures of them. Following the highly acclaimed At the Beach and In the Snow, this is Huy Voun Lee’s third book on Chinese character writing.

In the Park

Huy Voun Lee

Age Level:

3-6

Product Description: This entertaining book for young children features two adventurous toddlers on an afternoon romp through their backyard. As they blow bubbles, pull their wagon, dig in the sandbox, play hide-and-seek, ride on swings, and play with toys, young readers discover what comes in twos: hands, feet, eyes, ears, legs, and arms.

Toddler Two

Anastasia Suen

Age Level:

0-3

Robert’s Snowflakes

Grace Lin

Age Level:

3-6

Genre:

Fiction

A little mouse resides with his family in a leaky, old, leather boot that constantly needs repair. As winter approaches, the others are all for sealing themselves inside to shut out the cold. Robert has always yearned to play in the snow, so when he accidentally slips out of his window, he is delighted. Soon, however, he becomes lost and must be saved by a ‘big animal’ with red fur and blue eyes. He delivers the little mouse to his home, and when the snow melts, Robert’s family is mystified and delighted by the appearance of a brand-new boot right next to their old one. — School Library Journal

Robert’s Snow

Grace Lin

Age Level:

3-6

Genre:

Fiction

When Olvina gets invited to the Tenth Annual Bird Convention in Hawaii, she decides it’s high time to overcome her fear of flying. But on the day of her big plane trip, Olvina’s tummy is filled with butterflies and she has second thoughts. After all, chickens aren’t supposed to fly. Or are they? This tender and funny story is for children who love to fly as well as those who have not yet had the experience.

Olvina Flies

Grace Lin

Age Level:

3-6

Genre:

Fiction

Olvina can swim about as well as she can fly, but her reluctance to swim hasn’t been a problem until she’s on vacation in Hawaii with her friend Hailey. Will Olvina let her fear of the water spoil her fun? Not with Hailey on the job. Children (as well as chickens) may find learning to swim a daunting challenge. This reassuring story shows that with a little courage, lots of practice, and the help of a good friend, one can accomplish just about anything.