Books You May Have Missed 2022: Picture Books and Early Readers

"When a big truck and its big load get stuck on a narrow road, traffic on the little island comes to a halt. Some cars need to go south and some have to travel north. How will Meg get to her swim meet? What about Barry's ballet class? Luckily, the kids come up with an ingenious solution: why not just swap cars? Inspired by an incident that happened on Vinalhaven, Maine, Chris Van Dusen tells a fun tale of resourcefulness and community through clever,...

"When the Universe decides to create a child, she draws from the earth--rich, dark, and full of everything that gives life, including eyes like black star sapphires and full lips to speak the truth. With help from the Sun and the Moon, they create a child of the universe: beautiful, powerful, and boundless with the brilliance of black gold"--Jacket flap.

A rabble of soft, golden "chicklets" are awoken one morning to a startling proclamation: they only have ten short days to prepare for their best friend Bertha Daye's party. It's time to get to work building a larger-than-life castle cake to house and feed the revelers. Made of chocolate scooped out of chocolate mines, "finer than fairy dust" flour from the hillsides, and fruit carried down twigs and stems in the forest, this will be the best -- and...

"Annabelle discovers an animal bone in the woods and decides to make it her new plaything. But nature ends up moving Annabelle in mysterious ways. At first, Boney, as Annabelle names him, makes the perfect companion. While Mom is busy with the baby, Boney and Annabelle share a meal, play at the park, and share a bedtime story before Annabelle tucks Boney into his shoebox-bed for the night. But when creatures run wild through her dreams, Annabelle...

"Grammy Award winner Rhiannon Giddens celebrates Black history and culture in her unflinching, uplifting, and gorgeously illustrated picture book debut. As an acclaimed musician, singer, songwriter, and cofounder of the traditional African American string band the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Rhiannon Giddens has long used her art to mine America’s musical past and manifest its future, passionately recovering lost voices and reconstructing a nation’s...

"Rhyming has always come easily to Chester van Chime. But one day he loses his gift and struggles to find the right words"-- Provided by publisher.

"Take a hike with this father-daughter adventure that's sure to inspire you to get outside. When a young child reminds her dad about the hike they planned, her father is hesitant --To the tippy top? It's a great day to watch futbol (soccer). But as the two climb on, her enthusiasm is contagious. Filled with setbacks, surprises, and stunning views, this warm and humorous story highlights in vivid colors the bonding power of a shared experience. A list...

Con Pollo: A Bilingual Playtime Adventure is an engaging and hilarious picture book that serves young readers as an introduction to basic Spanish vocabulary, brought to life by superstar team-up Jimmy Fallon and Jennifer Lopez. Meet Pollo, a friendly little chicken who just wants to play. And play, and play, and play all day! Pollo makes any activity more fun. Why just go to the beach when you could go to la playa con Pollo? Do you want to play soccer,...

Jasper Rabbit has a problem: he is NOT doing well in school. His spelling tests? Disasters. His math quizzes? Frightening to behold. But one day, he finds a crayon lying in the gutter. Purple. Pointy. Perfect. Somehow ... it looked happy to see him. And it wants to help. At first, Jasper is excited. Everything is going great. His spelling is fantastic. His math is stupendous. And best of all, he doesn't have to do ANY work! But then the crayon starts...

As night falls, a trio of siblings stumble upon some of nature's hidden nighttime beauty, including timid fawns, blossoming lavender, silent owls, and many more wonders of the night.