Book Bundles: Pep Talks

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Mike Deas. "Yes, a great Jedi Luke Skywalker will become. A Jedi, too, you wish to be? Help you I can." Speaking directly to readers, Jedi master Yoda calmly dispenses tenets of the Jedi code. In the lively illustrations, Luke Skywalker faces his fears, learns to believe in himself, and trains to use the Force (as he does in The Empire Strikes Back). Deas's lithe lines and soft color palette match Chhibber's channeling of Yoda's mediative tone. As legions of fans already know, Yoda's wit and wisdom have relevance beyond the Star Wars universe.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) PS A young child introduces puppy Ollie, who lives in the child's head. When Ollie gets "happy-excited, it's fun." But sometimes Ollie gets too excited, which makes the child upset. Children will recognize that Ollie is a stand-in for big emotions: "If he gets too excited, scared, or upset, he can't listen to me. His FEELINGS control him." Gravel's uncluttered digital illustrations forgo background detail to focus on the two main characters. When Ollie becomes too revved up, the child helps Ollie manage his feelings: "I sit down and take a deep breath. Long, slow, and gentle." By book's end, readers and listeners will feel recharged, as well.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) PS Illustrated by Margaux Meganck. "All we need / is a belly that's filled, / to give us the strength to grow and rebuild." The message that emerges from Wolff's patterned rhyming text is that once our basic needs--for air, water, education, shelter, food, family and friends--are met, we can fulfill the need to share with others. Families from different ethnic backgrounds, religious traditions, and configurations are featured in Meganck's summertime-warm watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations. A neighborhood potluck at book's end brings everyone together in a celebration of inclusiveness and community.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn