One of our readers alerted us to Katherine Applegate’s latest book, as it seemed to her to feature a lesbian relationship. Odder, picturing a beyond-cute protagonist on the cover, is a novel-in-verse about a female sea otter who was born with an extra “spark”: a questing spirit, a taste for adventure. After a storm separates her from her mother, she’s rescued by humans of the Monterrey Bay Aquarium Sea Otter Research and Conservation Program. (Odder can’t identify the place and the program, but the author does that in her afterword). The humans complete her absent mother’s training as best they can before returning the adventuresome pup to the sea. There…

Four books featuring animals and young children are imaginative, instructive, and fun to read aloud to little ones. How to Apologize by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka. Candlewick 2021, 32 pages. Reading Level: Easy Readers, Ages 4-8 Recommended For: Ages 4-8 It would be easy to be didactic with a book like this, but LaRochelle and Wohnoutka, the clever duo known for See the Cat excel in both telling and showing. Apologizing is hard, but it’s SO important. Modeling what you should not do as well as the simplicity of what you ought to do is a good reminder for both children and parents. Although this book does not…

In The Holy Ghost, author/illustrator John Hendrix freely exercises his imaginative powers while contemplating the third Person of the Trinity. The Holy Ghost: A Spirited Comic by John Hendrix. Abrams, 2022, 121 pages. Reading level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 12-up In his Author’s Note, John Hendrix recalls “entering a feeling of numinous wonder” as his pastor preached on the Trinity. As the congregation sang “Be Thou My Vision” in response, he imagined a literal blue ghost hovering above, an image that “delighted me beyond words.”  The character featured in this book, a series of unrelated comics inspired by the author’s musings, may not delight every reader, but…

We’re celebrating Picture Book Month here at RedeemedReader! ABC Books are some of the most common picture books young children see, but there are many ABC books that delight older readers as well. Just as a teacher’s roster, the dictionary, a filing system use the alphabet as an organizing tool, so, too, do many clever authors and illustrators. Below are some ABC books that go beyond “A is for apple.” Some are funny, some are informative, and all are worth checking out. Be sure to check out Megan’s post on how not to read a picture book so that you’ll get the most out of these titles! Books are organized,…