Spotlight: What About Harry? by Derek Anderson

From New York Times bestselling illustrator Derek Anderson comes the story of Sam and Harry, two pals whose friendship is tested when Henry fails as Sam excels.

Harry and Sam are best friends who do everything together. Like build castles. Jump into ponds. And swing on swings.

But when Harry realizes that Sam can build bigger, jump higher, and swing better than he can, he decides he’d be happier without Sam. All by himself, Harry can be the greatest! All by himself, Harry is…

Well, Harry is…

Alone. Is being the best at everything worth it if you don’t have a friend to share the fun with?

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About the Author

Derek Anderson is the creator behind many award-winning books for children. Derek illustrated the New York Times bestselling Little Quack series by Lauren Thompson, Hot Rod Hamster by Cynthia Lord, and Waking Dragons by Jane Yolen. Derek has written a number of books as well, including What About Harry? and Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure. He and his wife Cheryl live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Visit him at www.derekanderson.net.

Spotlight: The Cars and Trucks Book by Todd Parr

From bestselling and beloved author Todd Parr, a new book about all of the different ways that cars and trucks help people and have fun.

Some trucks help on the farm.

Some trucks help in the city.

Some cars like to drive in the snow.

And some cars like to drive to the beach.

All cars and trucks LOVE to be on the ROAD!

Todd Parr brings his trademark bright colors and bold lines to his new book about cars, trucks, and the occasional bus. In a fun collection of silly images, Todd explores all of the ways vehicles have an impact on our daily lives, while weaving in messages about positivity, the environment, and safety. Readers will laugh along with the whole four-wheeled gang!

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About the Author

I spent my childhood in a small town in Wyoming. It was a great place to grow up, but I knew the world was out there waiting for me. I first got into children’s publishing in 1998. I was able to take the messages that are part of my art and make them into a satisfying reading experience about acceptance, differences and empowerment for kids to feel better about themselves in a simple, fun way. But I didn’t always have a signature style, and I wasn’t always considered a go-to-voice on emotional wisdom for kids, or addressing relationships that kids want to celebrate or issues that young people have questions about.

Spotlight: How High the Moon by Karyn Parsons

To Kill a Mockingbird meets One Crazy Summer in this powerful, bittersweet debut about one girl’s journey to reconnect with her mother and learn the truth about her father in the tumultuous times of the Jim Crow South.

In the small town of Alcolu, South Carolina, in 1944, 12-year-old Ella spends her days fishing and running around with her best friend Henry and cousin Myrna. But life is not always so sunny for Ella, who gets bullied for her light skin tone, and whose mother is away pursuing a jazz singer dream in Boston. 

So Ella is ecstatic when her mother invites her to visit for Christmas. Little does she expect the truths she will discover about her mother, the father she never knew and her family’s most unlikely history. 

And after a life-changing month, she returns South and is shocked by the news that her schoolmate George has been arrested for the murder of two local white girls. 

Bittersweet and eye-opening, How High the Moon is a timeless novel about a girl finding herself in a world all but determined to hold her down.

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About the Author

Karyn Parsons is best known for her role as Will Smith’s ditsy cousin Hilary Banks on NBC’s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. After leaving acting behind, Karyn has gone on to found and produce Sweet Blackberry, an award-winning series of children’s...

Spotlight: Spirit Riding Free: PALs Forever by Stacia Deutsch

Explore the world of DreamWorks Animation’s Spirit Riding Free with this adventurous new series, written in letter format, featuring the innermost thoughts of all of Miradero’s best PALs–Pru, Abigail, and Lucky!

Dear Friend,

The PALs are splitting up for spring break! Pru’s staying in Miradero to help her dad on the range, Abigail is visiting her fancy cousin, and Lucky is going on vacation to Destiny Falls with her dad and new stepmom. As if being apart isn’t weird enough, nothing over break is going as expected! Pru needs to run a children’s rodeo by herself, Abigail’s cousin Ariella doesn’t want to spend time with her, and Lucky’s cousin Julian keeps hinting that Lucky’s family might want to extend their visit to Destiny Falls…permanently! Not being together is hard, but we’re still there for one another through it all.

PALs Forever!

Pru, Abigail, and Lucky

DreamWorks Spirit Riding Free © 2019 DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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Love by Stacy McAnulty and Illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff

From award-winning author Stacy McAnulty comes a sweet story about love and what it’s really all about. 

What is love? Can you only express it in fancy meals, greeting cards, and heart-shaped chocolates? Kids will find love everywhere in this delightful book. It can be found in everyday moments such as baking cookies with grandma, notes from Mom in your lunchbox, or a family singing together on a car trip, and it isn’t always what you expect!

With delightful illustrations by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff and sweetly simple prose by award-winning author Stacy McAnulty, this is the perfect book to teach children what love means, why it’s important, and how they can spread the love in their daily lives.

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About the Author

Stacy McAnulty is the author of Mr. Fuzz Buster Knows He’s the Favorite, 101 Reasons Why I’m Not Taking a Bath, Excellent Ed, Beautiful, and Brave. She lives in Kernersville, NC, with her family. 

Joanne Lew-Vriethoff is the award-winning illustrator of Beautiful and Brave, as well as such books as Another Day as Emily, The Dancing Pancake, and Peace, Baby! She lives in Amsterdam with her family.

Spotlight: Don't Touch My Hair! by Sharee Miller

An entertaining picture book that teaches the importance of asking for permission first as a young girl attempts to escape the curious hands that want to touch her hair.

It seems that wherever Aria goes, someone wants to touch her hair. In the street, strangers reach for her fluffy curls; and even under the sea, in the jungle, and in space, she’s chased by a mermaid, monkeys, and poked by aliens…until, finally, Aria has had enough!

Author-illustrator Sharee Miller takes the tradition of appreciation of black hair to a new, fresh, level as she doesn’t seek to convince or remind young readers that their curls are beautiful–she simply acknowledges black beauty while telling a fun, imaginative story.

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About the Author

Sharee Miller has a BFA in communication design from Pratt Institute. She lives in Brooklyn, where she enjoys spending time with her two cats and illustrating fun stories. Sharee is the author and illustrator of Princess Hair. She invites you to visit her website at shareemiller.com and her Instagram @coilyandcute.