Book Bundles: I Second That Emotion

(3) PS Illustrated by Ella Bailey. "I've always known my monster. It's always been there. It knows ALL about me." A young child with short hair and brown skin talks about life with "my monster," a (not-scary-looking) large, round, horned yellow creature. The monster hides when the child attempts to get rid of it--and the longer it stays hidden, the more difficult and demanding it gets. "It even made me stay indoors when my friends came to play..." The monster effectively embodies anxiety in the uncluttered illustrations; the compassionate text keeps the focus on the protagonist, who models how to lessen anxiety's grip while accepting that "My monster is part of me."

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Kasha tells an encouraging story about being brave and conquering anxiety in service of being true to oneself. "The king and queen hoped their child would be a proper princess," but princessing isn't for Small Knight ("...not that being a princess is bad..."). Taking "Proper Princess Lessons" distresses the young adventurer, though, and their parents are cluelessly dismissive: "One day a brave knight will save you!" Use of nonbinary they/them pronouns for Small Knight adds another layer of meaning to the narrative. The emotionally charged illustrations effectively depict Small Knight's worries about parental disappointment as a creature-shaped mass of angry sharp lines. In the end, a wise dragon provides the key: "What you should do is look inside yourself."

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) PS Illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman. A group of energetic kids converges on an abandoned city lot. "Big plans today!" The lively mixed-media illustrations fill in story details: the plan seems to involve cleaning up trash, repurposing an old tire as a swing, and creating a new space to play. Getting from plan to finished project is a journey through many different emotions as the kids navigate disagreements and disappointment. Penfold's rhyming text is less concerned with the project than it is in naming feelings and offering ways to work together for a common goal. As in Penfold and Kaufman's All Are Welcome, the diverse cast (different races, abilities, cultural/religious markers) is the book's strongest feature.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn