marcel

Marcel the Frenchie is probably the cutest dog to amble onto the #kidlit scene in a long time.  In Eda Akaltun’s debut picture book, her smart and vibrant prints and collage commingle with her love of vintage 50s elements and paper ephemera.  The last page spread hints at a future trip for Marcel to a city whose streets he will likely fall in love with.  For New Yorkers, dog lovers and city goers, this book is a serious treat.

Also, Marcel’s on Instagram—check out his favorite NYC eats and stomping grounds @marcel.thefrenchie.  By Eda Akaltun and published by Flying Eye Books.

wumbers

In Wumbers, language converges with math to create something new and surprising (and seemingly cryptic at first glance).  Avery did a double-take the first time she read it.  Jumping between the linguistic and and mathematical, mid-word, keeps readers nimble and on their proverbial toes.  The hybrid text promotes a type of mental dexterity, flexibility and a different kind of fluency.  The linguist in me is smitten with wordplay books like these.  Just s2pendous.

By Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld, Wumbers was inspired by William Steig’s CDB!  What are everyone’s favorite books with wordplay?

manfish

“Our story starts many years before, in France, with a little baby boy born under the summer sun.  His parents named him Jacques.”  We're reading about the life of pioneering oceanographer and filmmaker Jacques Cousteau today.  He spent his childhood wondering, playing, experimenting and creating (which are commonalities among individuals who have done great things and made significant contributions to our world).

When he was young, he saved his allowance to buy a small home-movie camera, which he promptly took apart and put back together.  He filmed everything around him.  He started diving with his friends and created a waterproof case for his camera to film the oceanic world that he began to explore.  Cousteau later co-invented the aqualung, a device that allowed him to breathe underwater for long periods of time.

Besides introducing people to the beauty of the undersea landscape, his films have also served to educate people about the devastation of oceans due to pollution.

“Jacques dreamed that someday it would be you, exploring worlds never seen, never imagined.  Whole new worlds, silent and shimmering.  Worlds that are now yours.  To discover.  To care for.  And to love.”

Words in Manfish by Jennifer Berne, illustrations by Éric Puybaret and book design by Sara Gillingham.

ada twist, scientist

With "why?" being her first word uttered as a toddler and infinite curiosity about the world around her, Ada has the makings of a great scientist.  She joins wunderkinds Iggy Peck and Rosie Revere in thinking, inquiring, hypothesizing, perservering, innovating and engaging the people around her to solve life's quandaries.

Ada Twist, Scientist was inspired by Marie Curie and Ada Lovelace.  Most people are familiar with the work of scientist Marie Curie, but not everyone has heard of Ada Lovelace.  Ada, Countess of Lovelace, was the daughter of poet Lord Byron and she is widely regarded as the first computer programmer in history.  With an extensive background as a mathematician and writer, she created what many consider to be the first computer program—an algorithm for Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, a proposed mechanical general-purpose computer.  Charles Babbage was a fellow British mathematician and is known as ‘the father of computers.’

Back to our little Ada Twist—I don't want to give too much of her story away, but let's just say that it is as innovative and brilliant as her creators, Andrea Beaty and David Roberts.  Ada Twist, Scientist will be out September 6.