Primary (ages 6-9)

Material appropriate for primary age groups

The Pet Store Window

Ana looks out the pet store window with the store’s last remaining animals for sale a dog, a hedgehog and a mouse. What are they waiting for? Ana remembers finding the dog and bringing him to the store as a puppy. She’s watched as all the other dogs, the most charming, the most elegant, the strongest have all gone off. Ana, too, has never left, except at nights when she closes the store and goes home to the modest apartment she shares with her grandmother. But a day comes when the store owner announces that he has sold the store. An office tower will be built in its place. It makes no difference to him what happens to the animals, but Ana knows what she does next will make all the difference to her friends. Because after being together so long, isn’t that what they are?

My Mother Was A Nanny

A girl longs for her mother’s attention. But Mummy is always busy helping everyone else and their children! Day by day, the narrator recalls what it was like growing up with her mother, who was a nanny, as well as a friend, baker, maker, teacher, cleaner and more. As the youngest in her family, the girl stayed home and helped amuse the children her mother looked after. She went along on trips to the Caribbean greengrocer in their Brooklyn neighborhood, where her mother would almost always forget to buy her favorite fruit. She eavesdropped on her mother’s conversations, waiting for her turn to talk, only to be shooed away. She even accompanied her mother on office cleaning expeditions on Saturdays. Mummy seldom had a moment to spare. But looking back on a special surprise one Easter Sunday, the narrator realizes that her mother was always thinking about her own children, in spite of the demands of her domestic work and the central role she played in her community. Based on Laura James’ childhood in Brooklyn, and accompanied by her gorgeous, vibrant illustrations, this simple story is a moving reflection of race, class and labor in North America, including the Caribbean.

Skeletina And The Greedy Tooth Fairy (Skeletina And The In-Between World)

Skeletina’s day starts just like any other in the mixed up, upside down, inbetween world she calls home. That is, until she hears a strange sound coming from right inside her house. There’s a little girl crying behind the walls, and her teeth keep falling out! But Skeletina knows who can sniff out the truth. Join fun loving and fearless Skeletina on another in between adventure as she helps a frightened little girl conquer her fears and turn a scary dream into something much more fun!

Remembering

On Día de los Muertos, a family prepares an ofrenda for their favorite furry family member, remembering all the ways that their beloved pet brought love and comfort to their lives.

Veo, Veo, I See You

While out running errands with their mami during the Covid-19 pandemic, Marisol and Pepito play a game of Veo, Veo (I Spy) that helps them see how the workers in their neighborhood are, and will always be, essential.

My Brother Is An Avocado

A big sister anticipates the birth of a new sibling in this warm and funny stage by stage picture book tour of all the sizes of a growing baby, from teeny tiny poppy seed to giant watermelon.It’s hard to wait for an exciting new baby to join the family, especially when it’s still growing inside Mom’s tummy. But when her dad tells her the size of the baby at each stage, one little girl imagines all the fun she can have with her baby brother as a teeny tiny poppy seed, then a grape, then a lemon.But she’s not quite sure how she feels about having an avocado for a brother. Or an onion. Or a watermelon!

Dancing The Tinikling (Own Voices, Own Stories)

Jojo’s grandmother Lola invites him to join her in the rhythmic tinikling dance, and though he initially stumbles, Jojo finds his footing and joyfully embraces his American and Filipino heritages.

Hansel And Gretel: A Toon Graphic

Bestselling author Neil Gaiman and fine artist Lorenzo Mattotti join forces to create Hansel and Gretel, a stunning book that’s at once as familiar as a dream and as evocative as a nightmare. Mattotti’s sweeping ink illustrations capture the terror and longing found in the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Gaiman crafts an original text filled with his signature wit and pathos that is sure to become a favorite of readers everywhere, young and old.