Tag Archive | funny

Be sweet, be silly, ALWAYS BE MY BIBI, by Priyanka Taslim (YA book review)

Jun2
A Bangladeshi-American teen girl wearing large earrings, many bracelets and bright neck-scarf holds a glass of tea and winks over her heart-shaped rosy sunglasses in front of a terraced hillside and the book title Always Be My Bibi, by Priyana Taslim.

No phone, no fun, no boys,
bummer summer ahead –
until big sister’s big news!

Bibi the flirty fashionista tries to get around Abbu’s archaic rule about her not dating until older sister Halima is married, but the rising senior got caught going to prom and now is grounded for the summer.

Suddenly, big sis and Sunny announce their plans to marry this summer, in both families’ hometown in Bangladesh, and stay there! Is she giving up her dream of being an environmental lawyer?

Abbu is a famed entrepreneur in their Bangladeshi-American Muslim community in New Jersey, but the undisputed royalty in his hometown is Sunny’s family with their tea garden and resort here. So stiff, so formal, even the groom-to-be’s younger brother…

Despite their differences, Bibi and Sohel agree that their siblings aren’t right for each other and scheme to break them up, before it’s too late.

Oooh, a date with Sunny’s rich friend Akash is thrilling! Of course, they are properly chaperoned at all times, just like Halima and Sunny until their wedding.

Why aren’t Sunny and Sohel as close as Bibi and Halima are?
Why is Bibi beginning to enjoy being around Sohel at the tea gardens that he cares for so much?
Is it too late to stop making the engaged couple unhappy with each other?

When her beloved grandmother reveals a secret from her own university days, Bibi wants to solve the mystery, with Sohel’s help…

Releasing in paperback today! (6/2/26)

Got a favorite family wedding story?
**kmm

Book info: Always Be My Bibi / Priyanka Taslim. Salaam Reads, 2025. [author site https://priyankataslim.com/always-be-my-bibi/ ] [publisher site https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Always-Be-My-Bibi/Priyanka-Taslim/9781665901130] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

D IS FOR DOG! and everything dogs do! By Em Lynas and Sara Ogilvie (kids picturebook review)

May19
The sketched heads of 3 different happy dogs are seen through a large cut-out capital letter D on a short, wide book cover of D is for Dog! by Em Lynas and Sara Ogilvie

If you like who dogs are
and what dogs do,
here, my friend, is the book for you!

This whimsically illustrated poem begins “A is for action… and B is for bark” with a running dog chasing pigeons, then a hound on its hind legs barking at the cat atop its letter B.

Unlike most tall, square picture books, this one is short and wide, so “F is for flopping” displays a very furry dog spread out across both pages, as does “N is for napping…and napping…and napping again” where the very large dog slowly slips off its chair as it naps – common dog habits that we all recognize.

The cover’s capital D is cut out, giving a peek at the cute canines within, and at the end of this alphabetic poem, you’ll find all the dog breeds pictured, letter by letter, some with very unusual names!

Be sure to scan the included QR code so you can hear an audio reading of this rollicking, rhyming book.

What is your favorite dog behavior?
**kmm

Book info: D is for Dog! / Em Lynas; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie. Nosy Crow Inc. 2024. [author site https://www.instagram.com/emlynas/] [illustrator info https://nosycrow.us/contributor/sara-ogilvie/] [publisher site https://nosycrow.us/product/d-is-for-dog/] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher, via Publisher Spotlight.

THE BIG BOOK OF PI: The Famous Number You Can Never Know, by Lehmann, Aubin & Sildre (kids nonfiction book review)

May12
A large symbol of Pi surrounded by a circle of numerals and silhouettes of people measuring and observing, overlaid with book title The Big Book of Pi: the Famous Number You Can Never Know

Pi r-squared – everyone’s heard that formula, but where did the name for that constant come from?
How was it discovered?
What makes it unique in mathematics?

This highly illustrated book begins examining those questions in the introduction, chapter 3.14, noting 2 unusual facts about Pi: it’s infinite and irrational. Did you know that you can find any number sequence of any length in pi? (pg. 19)

Characters Pi-Rat the questioner and Little Horsey PiPi who loves math help readers learn about scholars in many eras and many lands worked diligently to discover Pi’s hidden digits.

In 1761, Johann Heinrich Lambert proved that Pi wasn’t a rational number, and the race was on for mathematicians to calculate as many of Pi’s decimal places as possible!

Srinivasa Ramanujan’s 1913 formula came to him in a dream, was ignored by university mathematicians, then proven correct over 70 years later, leading to even more efficient formulas. From pen and ink to calculating machines and computers, trillions of digits have been discovered!

But why do we need to know so many decimals of Pi? Testing new supercomputers and standing in for random number selections are just two reasons.

Pi-Rat and Little Horsey PiPi want us to have fun with Pi, with tricks for memorizing its digits, silly jokes, brain-twisting paradoxes, and how to cut a pizza exactly in half without cutting the crust.

The proofs behind historic examples cited and a glossary round out this very entertaining look at Pi and its never-ending digits. Check out the educator’s guide here: http://hello.helvetiq.com/en-us/bigbookofpi.

How many decimals of Pi can you recite?
**kmm

Book info: The Big Book of Pi: The Famous Number You Can Never Know / Anita Lehmann & Jean-Baptiste Aubin; illustrated by Joonas Sildre. Helvetiq, 2026. [author site https://www.anita-lehmann.com/] [publisher site https://helvetiq.com/us/the-big-book-of-pi] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher, via Publisher Spotlight.

X is for LEON THE EXTRAORDINARY, by Jamar Nicholas (MG Graphic Novel) #A2Z

Apr28
A sneaker-clad Black boy wearing green gloves, goggles, cape & utility belt is in mid-air in front of city skyscrapers with 2 different superheroes far behind him in the partly cloudy blue sky, below book title Leon the Extraordinary, by Jamar Nicholas

Superheroes – yay!
Supervillains – boo!
Ordinary people… yawn.

In a town filled with superheroes and supervillains, Leon is just…not-super. Best friend Carlos draws amazing comics, and Carlos’ mom is a super baker, but ordinary Leon can’t even convince his mom to get him a cellphone.

Wearing superhero garb to school can’t give the fifth grader superpowers, but he can feel his common sense tingling when there’s a problem situation.

Uh, oh. Clementine and her hall monitors are charging kids money to get to class safely? And she invites Leon to her superhero birthday party just to make fun of him! Grrr…she’s a problem that Leon can’t solve (yet).

Yikes! This new game Bholder has kids glued to their cellphones, making them act like zombies – real zombies who are ordered to get Leon!

Somehow Leon and Carlos must team up with Clementine to solve this problem before everyone in town with a cellphone is part of the mob.

Which of Leon’s inventions can help them free their classmates?
Who is behind this terrible game app?
Why are some people superheroes and others supervillains?

First in the series, followed by Leon: Worst Friends Forever (book 2) and Leon and the Big, Big Problem (book 3, releasing January 2027).

Who’s your favorite less-known superhero?
**kmm

Book info: Leon the Extraordinary / Jamar Nicholas; color by Bonaia Rosada. Graphix/Scholastic, 2022 [author/artist site https://jamarnicholas.weebly.com/jamar-nicholas.html] [publisher site https://shop.scholastic.com/parent-ecommerce/books/leon-the-extraordinary-1-9781338744156.html] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

J is for Ken Jennings’ JUNIOR GENIUS GUIDES: GREEK MYTHOLOGY, by Ken Jennings, Mike Lowery (MG non-fiction) #A2Z

Apr11
Cartoonish versions of Greek god Poseidon with trident, a bull, one-eye Cyclops, and snake-haired Medusa in center of book cover, under title Ken Jennings' Junior Genius Guides (with author in an airplane) and subtitle Greek Mythology below.

Trojan horse,
strong as Hercules,
Greek mythology is everywhere you look!

This clever and information-packed guide begins with ancient Greek culture, then details the complicated family tree of Greek gods and goddesses (major and minor and demi), introduces superheroes and monsters, and notes famous feuds and inventions.

Includes lots of funny illustrations, diagrams, Greek God Trading Cards, and informative sidebars.

Use the Official Junior Genius Guide Cipher to decode Pop Quiz answers, and take activity breaks for recess, art class, lunch, and music class before the Junior Genius final exam.

Even the most ardent fan of the Greek gods will find something new and interesting here!

This series by Jeopardy champion and host Ken Jennings continues with Outer Space, Dinosaurs, The Human Body, and more https://www.simonandschuster.com/series/Ken-Jennings-Junior-Genius-Guides.

May you ever live up to the Junior Genius secret Latin motto: Semper quaerens – always curious!

Which Greek mythological figure would you like to meet?
**kmm

Book info: Ken Jennings’ Junior Genius Guides: Greek Mythology / Ken Jennings; illustrated by Mike Lowery. Simon Spotlight, 2025. [author site https://www.ken-jennings.com/about] [illustrator site https://www.mikelowery.com/] [publisher site https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Greek-Mythology/Ken-Jennings/Ken-Jennings-Junior-Genius-Guides/9781665973625] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

Time for summer fun and romance – MEET ME AT WONDERLAND! by Julia DeVilliers (YA fiction)

May20
Book cover of Meet Me at Wonderland, by Julia DeVilliers. A teen girl in t-shirt and shorts holds a wearable moose head behind her back. She looks across the title written down a signpost at a taller teen boy wearing same t-shirt who has 1 foot on a soccer ball, with roller coaster in background.

Ferris wheel! Roller coaster!
Cotton candy! Pizza!
Stinky moose costume… well, someone has to wear it.

Coco is SO happy to finally be old enough to work at her family’s amusement park! After Mom’s cancer treatments and a crappy school year, the 14 year old needs to be surrounded by happiness at Wonderland.

Wearing the heavy Morty the Moose costume on her very first day, Coco crashes into new employee Henry, a cute guy who’s not from their small Adirondacks lake town.

Soon she and Henry are competing for staff MVP award, a far cry from the soccer glory that Henry crashed out of when he messed up his ankle recently.

Coco’s longtime friends at Wonderland think Henry is great; his long-divorced dad doesn’t. Luckily, the gigantic lakeside mansion is filled with the silliness of young Tuesday, daughter of Dad’s current girlfriend.

As summer goes on, Coco shares with Henry how her grandparents started Wonderland and how much it means to her.

Uh-oh – Dad’s big business deal is trying to buy out Wonderland! How will Coco ever forgive Henry?

Told in alternating chapters by Coco and Henry, this “moose-cute” summer romance is a roller coaster with a bit of bumper cars before meeting at the candy counter.

Happy book birthday, Meet Me at Wonderland!

What’s your favorite amusement park ride?
**kmm

Book info: Meet Me At Wonderland / Julia DeVilliers. Aladdin, 2025. [author site https://www.juliadevillers.com/] [publisher site https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Meet-Me-at-Wonderland/Julia-DeVillers/9781665964241] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

Get to know CHARLES M. SCHULZ, creator of Snoopy and Peanuts, in a manga biography! by Yuzuri Kukui (Graphic novel nonfiction)

May5
Book cover of Charles M. Schulz: The Creator of Snoopy and Peanuts, by Yuzuri Kukui. Manga Biographies series. Centered above title is a manga image of young Charles Schulz sketching a cartoon as his characters Lucy, Linus, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Woodstock dance on pages flying off his desk.

Snoopy!
Charlie Brown!
Linus! Lucy! Woodstock!

We all recognize the characters of Peanuts, drawn by Charles Schulz, but how much do you know about the cartoonist’s life story?

A doodler from childhood, “Sparky” improved his techniques with a drawing course by mail during high school, delighting family and friends with his cartoons.

Returning to St. Paul after army service during World War II, Schulz worked at multiple jobs trying to get into the cartooning business.

Finally, a New York newspaper syndicate accepts his comic strip about little kids and a dog! Its original name was like another published comic, so the editors change it to “Peanuts.” Sparky hates the name, but is ecstatic that his work whose characters are named after his coworkers will be seen in newspapers across the US!

He rushes home to propose to lovely red-headed Donna – who says she’s decided to marry someone else… so Sparky threw himself into producing a daily comic strip.

Peanuts’ popularity grew as it appeared in more and more newspapers, then the Sunday color comic pages, then books. At age 32, Schulz won top cartoonist of the year!

His family grew, too, so he and Joyce and their five children moved to the warmer climate of southern California.

In 1960, Linus began the Legend of the Great Pumpkin, followed by Charlie Brown’s unrequited love for “the little red-headed girl” whom we never see, then “A Charlie Brown Christmas” animated television special.

Go with Snoopy to the moon, learn about Sparky’s family, and enjoy his enduring comic characters in this loving tribute, originally published in Japan with editorial supervision by Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates.

Who is your favorite Peanuts character?
**kmm

Book info: Charles M. Schulz: the creator of Snoopy and Peanuts (Manga Biographies series) / by Yuzuri Kukui; translated by Mari Marimoto. Udon Entertainment, 2024. [publisher site https://store.udonentertainment.com/collections/manga/products/manga-biographies-charles-m-schulz-the-creator-of-snoopy-and-peanuts] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

Always stylish, meet BAIT THE TOAD! by Kendra Powers (nonfiction)

May2
Book cover of Bait the Toad, by Kendra Powers. Photo of a large toad wearing a shiny black top-hat with red band, while sitting calmly on a large branch.

In his garden or on the road,
oh so dapper is Bait the Toad!

From his quiet beginnings on the banks of the Rio Grande River to rising TikTok star, Bait remains a humble toad.

His polymer clay hats range from seasonal to casual to fancy, each custom-made by his photographer/caretaker.

Of course, the natural world is his first love, and he’s become very fond of orchids, too.

Includes his style tips for toads and a reminder that “frogs and toads are entirely different – and while frogs must be kissed to become princes, toads are plenty royal on their own, thank you very much.”

This small-format book of Bait’s most charming photos is a great gift for amphibian lovers and a fun story-starter for kids – “what journey are Bait and the orange cat starting?”

What’s your favorite type of hat?
**kmm

Book info: Bait the Toad / Kendra Powers. Catalyst Press, 2023. [author/photographer interview https://www.catalystpress.org/post/author-q-a-kendra-powers] [publisher site https://www.catalystpress.org/bait-the-toad] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

Y is a year’s worth of funny poems: A WHALE OF A TIME, selected by Lou Peacock, art by Matt Hunt (Poetry picturebook) #AtoZ

Apr29
Book cover of A Whale of a Time: a Funny Poem For Each Day of the Year, selected by Lou Peacock, illustrated by Matt Hunt. Shows a large smiling blue whale swimming in sea with fish and submarine, spouting many objects up into the air: ghost, dinosaur, piano, robot, horse, rainbow, car, trophy, lion, kite, ladder and more.

Make every day more humorous as you spend a year with funny poems from around the world.

Some are very short:

even among the insects of this world,
some are good at singing,
some bad
by Kobayashi Issa, translated by R.H. Blyth (August 8)

Others are a bit longer, like Jack Prelutsky’s classic “The Turkey Shot Out of the Oven” on November 27th among a cluster of fall food feasting poems.

Every double-page spread features subject-related poems such as June 26-28’s poems “Spinach”, “I Eat My Peas With Honey”, and “Eat Your Veg”, with a vivid illustration connecting them.

And the poem titles themselves invite us to enjoy reading them – “Banananananananana” (August 2) and “Hippopotamouse” (Sept. 30) and “Jamaican Summers” (June 12) and “The Fork Tree” (Oct.7) and “Lunchbox Love Note” (on Feb. 14, of course)

Happy to reread some of my favorites, like “Eletelephony”, by Laura E. Richards (for Feb. 25) which begins
Once there was an elephant,
Who tried to use the telephant –
No! No! I mean an elephone
Who tried to use the telephone…

This vibrantly illustrated oversize volume includes an index of poets, an index of poems, and the ever-helpful index of first lines. Find related learning resources on the publisher’s page: https://nosycrow.us/product/a-whale-of-a-time/.

What’s your favorite funny poem?
**kmm

Book info: A Whale of a Time: a Funny Poem For Each Day of the Year / selected by Lou Peacock, illustrated by Matt Hunt. Nosy Crow, 2023. [editor site https://nosycrow.us/contributor/lou-peacock/] [illustrator site https://matthuntillustration.com/] [publisher site https://nosycrow.us/product/a-whale-of-a-time/] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher, via Publisher Spotlight.

T is for TWELFTH KNIGHT, her online game territory, not his! by Alexene Farol Follmuth (YA fiction) #AtoZ

Apr23
Book cover of Twelfth Knight, by Alexene Farol Follmuth. Shows a Latina teen dressed in ornate black armor holding a sword toward a Black teen wearing a high school football jersey, jeans and fancy sneakers, using crutches with one knee in a brace. Several gaming icons are lined up above their heads.

Such a slacker!
More work for her,
more need to escape into the game.

What did Viola ever do to deserve a tabletop game group that doesn’t appreciate her well-crafted campaign? Or a student body president elected because he’s California football royalty, leaving all the hard work to her as vice-president? Or having to pretend to be male in Twelfth Night battle game online so she’s not harassed for being a confident, competent Latina?

Injured on a touchdown play, Jack’s PT regimen still leaves the Black teen too much free time – might as well try that Twelfth Night game his buddy recommended.

As Cesario in-game, Vi immediately recognizes Jack’s avatar (a knight armored in their school colors – ha!) and eventually partners with him in quests, some chat between battles.

Working together at school on Homecoming Dance plans, Jack asks Vi to figure out why his girlfriend Olivia is growing distant…
Vi’s closest friend Antonia decides not to volunteer at MagiCon fantasy conference, and Jack is her substitute…
College scouts are asking if Jack’s knee will be ready for the playoffs and his future with them…

After in-game chat veers into personal stuff and Jack’s growing attraction to Vi, she allows Jack/Duke to believe it’s her twin brother that he’s befriended in the game (Renaissance Faire actor, non-gamer Bash is horrified).

Bash and Vi’s mom is seriously dating now, Cesario and Duke are closing in on the game’s ultimate prize, and there’s a senior night activity to plan… argh!

Told in the alternating voices of Jack and Viola, this rom-com blends online battles, hidden identities, self-discovery, and real-life relationships – with strong echoes of Shakespeare’s play, Twelfth Night.

Have you ever adopted an online persona that’s you-but-better?
**kmm

Book info: Twelfth Knight / Alexene Farol Follmuth. Tor Teen, hardcover 2024, paperback May 2025.[author site https://www.alexenefarolfollmuth.com/twelfth-knight] [publisher site https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250884909/twelfthknight/] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.