Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery Newletter

Youth Yak

Page One Staff Picks Youth Yak Book Groups News

We’re getting in new picture books, and want to share some of our favorites!

Friend or Foe
by John Sobol and Dasha Tolstikova

A mouse lived in a little house by a great palace, where a cat lived. Each night, the mouse looked up at the cat in the palace tower and wondered, “Are you my friend?” One day, the intrepid mouse sneaked into the palace through a tiny hole and made his way to the window in which the cat sat.” Hello, are you friend or foe?” he asked. The story has a surprise ending, which gives young readers a chance to draw their own conclusions.

One Cheetah, One Cherry
by Jackie Morris

This is the most beautiful counting book I’ve ever seen! Numbers one to ten are paired with cheetahs, elephants, tigers, swans, mice and other animals in gorgeous watercolors. The text is playful and the images are striking. Kids and adults alike with enjoy this book.

The Lost House
by B.B. Cronin

A brother and sister want to go to the park with their grandfather, but they can't leave until they find his lost socks, and his shoes, and even his teeth! Help the children help Grandad find his belongings in this delightful search and find book. We have an autographed copy.

— Sally

Wonderfall
by Michael Hall

Wonderfall follows a single tree through the changing of the seasons. People, animals, and vehicles pass in front of the tree, celebrating holidays, playing in its leaves, and getting ready for winter. Fifteen combined words (thankful + fall = thankFALL, plentiful + fall = plentiFALL) underscore the themes and concepts of the season, while the main attraction—the beautiful tree—drops acorns, loses leaves, and provides food and a home for a pair of scurrying squirrels. Two full spreads at the back of the book offer additional information about the animals featured in the book, as well as the science behind squirrels, acorns, and saplings.

Here’s a trailer.

— Jen

Cascade Recommends:

Everyone We’ve Been
by Sarah Everett

Addison is involved in a bus crash but doesn’t sustain any injuries. She begins seeing a boy that no one else can see and attributes this figment of her imagination to an undiagnosed head trauma. She stumbles upon information regarding Overton Clinic--a medical facility that deals with memory—and decides to schedule an appointment. She is deemed to be fine but a staff member’s blunder causes her to find out that she was here before and that she had some of her memories erased. The book will be released in October.

Holding Up the Universe
by Jennifer Niven

The premise of this book was very interesting. I liked the unlikely love aspect between two very different main characters. Libby Strout was “America’s Fattest Teen” until she became housebound and decided to lose weight; she finally came back to school after losing a tremendous amount of weight. Jack Masselin seems to have had the perfect high school experience (very popular and has a girlfriend), but he is living with a disorder where he cannot recognize faces. These two characters meet when Jack decides to partake in a game called “Fat Girl Rodeo” and lands himself and Libby in group counseling. As they spend more time together, a mutual attraction occurs. The book will be released in October.