​Nicole Maxwell
Read alouds are ideal for cultivating a love of books and reading in children. They are also perfect for engaging their interest in learning about a new topic. When you are looking for high-quality read alouds, either to share with young readers as a good story or to introduce a new subject, consider one of the recently-published books reviewed here. 

​The Boy Who Said Wow. Todd Boss. Illus. by Rashin Kheiriyeh. (2024). Beach Lane.
Ronan is a nonverbal child; he rarely speaks even a word. One night his grandfather takes him to a concert, and he is moved by the music. When the music ends, Ronan breaks his silence with one loud “Wow!” that is heard and appreciated by the audience around him. In an author’s note, Todd Boss shares the true story of nine-year-old Ronan Mattin’s experience at Boston’s Symphony Hall on May 5, 2019, providing an account of what happened that night and how it was captured on a radio recording “heard around the world.” The combination of Boss’s engaging text with expressive sound effects (“Zimmity, Zimmity, Zum”) and Rashin Kheiriyeh’s whimsical illustrations, rendered in watercolor, ink, acrylic, chalk, and collages, create a powerful read aloud highlighting the impact of music. (PreK-Gr 2) 

​The Den That Octopus Built (Animal Habitats #3). Randi Sonenshine. Illus. by Anne Hunter. (2024). Candlewick.
 “This is the ledge of sandstone and lime, / layered with shells cemented by time, / that shelters the den that Octopus built.” In her latest book in the Animal Habitats series, Randi Sonenshine tells the story of an octopus using various objects in the ocean to build a den in which she protects herself from predators, captures crabs to eat, and lays her eggs. Readers get a glimpse into the beginning of a new life cycle as the mother uses her final breath to blow her babies away from the den and into the ocean and a surviving hatchling begins to construct a den. Using ink, watercolor, and colored pencil, Anne Hunter’s warm illustrations beautifully detail the life of an octopus in its reef habitat. Back matter provides an extensive “Arm Yourself with Octo-Knowledge” section of interesting facts about octopuses, a glossary, and an author’s note. (PreK Up) 

​Keep Up, Duck! (2024). Ivan Bates & Rachel Bates. Illus. by Ivan Bates. Candlewick.
Mamma Duck and her seven yellow ducklings are swimming to the lily pond, but little Puck “with downy wings and tiny feet” keeps straggling behind. As she continues leading her ducklings, Mamma Duck urges Puck along by quacking, “Keep up, Duck!” He must figure out how to stay with the rest of his family. Soft watercolor-and-colored pencil artwork complements the spare, rhythmic text with onomatopoetic words (“Hop! Hop! Hop! Plop!”) and the repeated phrase “Keep up, Duck” to relate the story of determined duckling Puck’s solutions to catching up with his family until he finally gets ahead of them in this delightful read aloud that young children will enjoy listening to again and again. (PreK Up) 

Oh, Are You Awake? Bob Shea. Illus. by Jarvis. (2024). Candlewick.
While standing on the head of Lion, who is wide awake and wants to hear a story, a very tired Penguin is ready to sleep. Despite Penguin’s pleas to hold off on the story until after they have slept, Lion finds noisy ways to rouse Penguin followed by innocently saying, “Oh, are you awake?” Each time Penguin expresses his frustration about being awakened from a pleasant dream, Lion asks him for a story about the dream. When Lion finally promises to let him go to sleep after he tells a story, Penguin is ready with one about a very sleepy penguin and a not-so-sleepy lion. Jarvis’s colorful, expressive digital illustrations of the two characters and the whimsical dream sequences pair well with Bob Shea’s amusing text told completely in dialogue in this picture book just right for any time you want an enjoyable read aloud, as well as for bedtime reading when kids want just one more story. (PreK-Gr 2) 

Olivetti. Allie Millington. (2024). Feiwel & Friends.
Allie Millington weaves a profound and emotional tale told in alternating chapters from the viewpoints of Olivetti, the Brindle family’s manual typewriter that has been replaced by a computer, and 12-year-old Ernest Brindle, a loner and lover of words. While Olivetti is not used now, Tapestries, memories composed by Beatrice (Mom) live on in him. When Beatrice disappears one day, Olivetti realizes that her memories are vital to helping find her and decides to break the typewriter code as a “protector of memories” and communicate with Ernest by typing out Beatrice’s stored words. Ernest and his family must face what they have avoided, “the Everything That Happened,” to find a solution. The power of love, family, friends, and memories are themes throughout this intriguing story that will likely promote discussions about typewriters and their history inside and outside of the classroom. (Gr 3 Up) 

The One and Only Family (One and Only #4). Katherine Applegate. Illus. by Patricia Castelao. (2024). Harper.
In the final book of The One and Only series about Ivan, the gorilla first introduced in Katherine Applegate’s Newbery Award winning The One and Only Ivan (2012), who lives at Wildwood Zoological Park & Sanctuary, is excited but nervous when his mate, Kinyani, gives birth to their twins. His feelings of gratefulness for all that he has are complicated by his memories of living in the wild and being taken from it. As Ivan struggles with the significance of his role as protector of his family while not being able to be the silverback he would be in the wild he has Kinyani’s consistent support, as well as that of old friends Ruby the elephant in the enclosure next door and Bob the dog, who frequently visits the sanctuary. Applegate, once again, demonstrates the importance of family and friendship while also underscoring the realities of endangered species. (Gr 3 Up) 

The Perilous Performance at Milkweed Meadow (Milkweed Meadow #2). Elaine Dimopoulos. Illus. by Doug Salati. (2024). Charlesbridge.  
In the sequel to The Remarkable Rescue at Milkweed Meadow (2023), the meadow creatures have bonded and Butternut is still enchanting them with her stories. That is until a traveling troupe of turkeys arrives and persuades the creatures to participate in their grand theatrical performance. Butternut’s failed audition leaves her as the only rabbit not in the show, creating doubts about her storytelling talent and place within the community. Turning to Thalia, her human friend who understands the language of the meadow dwellers, to regain her confidence, leads to the distrust of her best friend, Piper, and members of the community. When Butternut learns of the true intent behind the turkeys’ summer show, she must figure out how to convince them to believe her when she tells them they are in danger. Doug Salati’s black-and-white illustrations highlight key moments throughout the text, helping bring the characters to life. (Gr 3 Up) 

The Quiet Forest. Charlotte Offsay. Illus. by Abi Cushman. (2024). Paula Wiseman.  
The chain of humorous events that change a “quiet, nothing-to-do forest” into an “oh-dear-this-is-loud forest” and then a community of forest animals “which isn’t too loud or too quiet at all” starts with a mischievous mouse swinging into and stealing a rabbit’s stack of pancakes. The thumping of the “rattled rabbit” in pursuit disturbs a beaver in a pond. “Thump! Splash!” Eventually, with a rattled rabbit, bothered beaver, drenched deer, and miserable moose chasing the mischievous mouse, the forest is so noisy that a sleeping bear is aroused from her den. The growling of the “bellowing bear” awakens her cub, and it is up to the bear cub and the wind to turn things around. Abi Cushman’s illustrations drawn in pencil and colored digitally complement Charlotte Offsay’s use of alliteration, onomatopoeia, and repetition in this lively tale that children are certain to want to read over and over again. (PreK-Gr 2) 

She Sells Seashells: Mary Anning, an Unlikely Paleontologist. Heidi E. Y. Stemple. Illus. by Emily Paik. (2024). Charlesbridge.
Heidi E. Y. Stemple shares the story of Mary Anning, who started collecting shells and other curiosities to sell in her parents’ shop as a young girl. Growing up in England in the 1800s in a time when girls were not typically allowed an education, particularly ones like Mary, whose family was not rich, she educated herself and became more knowledgeable about the fossilized shells and bones she discovered. Male scientists bought her findings, learned about life on earth in the past from them, and established the science of paleontology. Mary was not included in their studies, but she was recognized as the first paleontologist two hundred years later. Emily Paik’s colorful, digital artwork provides eye-catching images of Mary’s life and the discoveries she made on the Jurassic Coast of England. Back matter includes more about Mary, her discoveries, and where they were located as well as a societal context for this picture book biography of Mary Anning (1799-1847).  (PreK Up) 

Tree. Table. Book. Lois Lowry. (2024). Clarion.
Eleven-year-old Sophia (Sophie) Winslow’s best friend is 88-year-old Sophie Gershowitz, who lives next door. Young Sophie, who narrates this story, describes their relationship as a “true and lasting friendship, a friendship of the heart.” The friends share strong opinions about almost everything, drink tea together, and play games. Recently, the elder Sophie has been forgetting things, and her son is coming to take her to see a doctor. This has the younger Sophie worried that she may lose her best friend soon. As young Sophie attempts to protect Sophie Gershowitz by prepping her for upcoming psychological testing, she discovers more about her through the powerful stories she tells of her childhood in Poland during WWII. Lois Lowry conveys a touching story of an intergenerational friendship with tender moments and humor that demonstrates the significance of creating and imparting memories. (Gr 3 Up) 

​Two Together. Brendan Wenzel. (2024). Chronicle.
In this companion book to They All Saw a Cat (2016) and Inside Cat (2021), a dog and a cat, Bone and Bell, are headed home together. Along the way, they encounter various sights, smells, and sounds, which they experience in different ways. For example, Bone seems content to paddle across a stream, while Bell is clearly not comfortable with the wet plunge. Even as their perspectives differ, the repetitive refrain of “Two together. . .” demonstrates their partnership on this journey home. Brendan Wenzel’s engaging, multi-media illustrations that exhibit the opposing perceptions of the two friends pairs well with the sparse, rhythmic text as the style of the artwork changes to represent the similarities and the differences in Bone’s and Bell’s experiences. (PreK-Gr 2) 

Nancy Brashear and Carolyn Angus 
The recently-published informational picture books reviewed in this column are good read-aloud choices to introduce STEM units on the extraordinary variety of life on Earth. These engaging books will pique the interest of children to learn more through independent research on different species of animals, plants, and fungi and stimulate lively discussions of the actions needed to help insure the survival of species and ecosystems.    ​

​How Birds Sleep. Sara Pedry & David Obuchowski. Illus. by Sarah Pedry. (2023). mineditionsUS.  
So how do birds sleep anyway?” is addressed by Sara Pedry and David Obuchowski’s inviting narrative about 20 bird species from the United States and other countries from around the world including Chile, Kenya, China, and Australia on single pages and double-page spreads that identify the featured birds by common and scientific names and countries and present facts about their sleep behavior. The book opens at dusk in the United States with a barn owl wide awake while thousands of tree swallows signal bedtime “in an elaborate routine” in the sky before they “funnel down into the reeds” to slumber—and ends with the barn owl nestled in his tree at dawn for a good day’s sleep while tree swallows fly out of the reeds. Pedry’s lush artwork, done by hand in layers using charcoal, ink, and gouache, augments the text with realistic portraits of the birds sleeping in their natural habitats. This soothing read-aloud also makes a perfect goodnight book. Back matter includes information about bird sleep, climate change, the backstory, and resources. (PreK-Gr 2)  
--NB

Nancy Brashear is Professor Emeritus of English from Azusa Pacific University, in Azusa, California. Carolyn Angus is former Director of the George G. Stone Center for Children’s Books, Claremont Graduate University, in Claremont, California. ​