OF THE SUN: a Poem for the Land’s First Peoples, by Xelena Gonzales & Emily Kewageshig (Picturebook)

May5
In front of a bright sun, an indigenous person looks to the right where an eagle soars. Both are surrounded by branches of flowers and berries, with book title Of the Sun: a Poem for the Land's First Peoples, by Xelena Gonzales

“Child of the sun, you’ve been blessed since birth…”

So begins a poem celebrating the First Peoples of the Western hemisphere, from the Yamana at the far tip of South America to the Ben Za in Central America to the Inuit in North America’s Arctic regions.

The artist uses saturated colors and bold outlines with motifs from many Indigenous cultures of the Americas and Caribbean – eagle and bison, butterfly and dreamcatcher, Plains beaded embroidery, dancers and native produce.

“Child of the sun, on this land you are home.”

As you read along, listen to the poet recite this heartfelt work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzDjOnJGQJE

Includes notes on the Native peoples named in the poem, plus wonderful letters to the reader from the poet and the artist.

I live on lands of the Caddo and Kickapoo people, shows https://native-land.ca/
On whose land do you now live?
**kmm

Book info: Of the Sun: a Poem for the Land’s First Peoples / Xelena Gonzales; illustrated by Emily Kewageshig. Barefoot Books, 2025. [author site https://www.xelena.space/about] [artist site https://www.emily-kewageshig.com/] [publisher site https://www.barefootbooks.com/of-the-sun] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher, via Publisher Spotlight.

May the Fourth be with you! Back to William Shakespeare Star Wars, by Ian Doescher (fiction book review)

May4
Large sketched image of Darth Vader in embellished armor is surrounded by smaller images of Star Wars tie fighter, X-wing craft, Luke with sword, and Princess Leia, above book title: William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, a New Hope, by Ian Doescher

Favorite holiday for that “galaxy far, far away” is today, so I celebrate the reissued books of Ian Doescher’s mashup series, retelling Star Wars tales in William Shakespeare’s style.

I recommended the original editions over a decade ago, beginning with William Shakespeare’s Star Wars: Verily, a New Hope, the story that started it all, completely and lovingly rendered in epic Shakespearean verse: https://booksyalove.com/?p=3298

Next was The Empire Striketh Back (Star Wars: Part the Fifth) which I introduced with several original verses in iambic pentameter; here we meet Yoda who speaks in haiku: https://booksyalove.com/?p=3307

Rounding out the series based on the original movie trilogy is The Jedi Doth Return (Star Wars Part the Sixth), which I recommended here with a bit more verse: https://booksyalove.com/?p=4219; it even has a book trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVp5XZEang4

Doescher thought that the original trilogy was the end of his collaboration with masters Shakespeare and Lucas, but nay, good friends, the saga continueth!

I recommended William Shakespeare’s The Phantom of Menace (Star Wars, Part the First) here https://booksyalove.com/?p=5811 again penning my own iambic pentameter plot summary, but missed out on The Clone Army Attacketh (Star Wars, Part the Second) and Tragedy of the Sith’s Revenge (Star Wars, Part the Third).

Past the original trilogy are William Shakespeare’s The Force Doth Awaken: Star Wars Part the Seventh, Jedi the Last: Star Wars Part the Eighth, and The Merry Rise of Skywalker: Star Wars Part the Ninth (newer titles, different subtitle format…)

Sadly all were out of print until Insight Editions began reissuing the series last year; find the whole list at https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Ian-Doescher/232868011 including new works featuring the Mandalorian and Ashoka (publishing Sept. 2026).

Darth Vader, a woman in pink blouse, Storm Trooper stand in front of Death Star backdrop, with caption "May the force of reading be with you - Abdo - TLA 2012 - Star Wars"

Look for them all at your local library https://search.worldcat.org/libraries or independent bookstore https://bookshop.org/!

Which is your favorite Star Wars episode?
**kmm

(thanks again to Abdo Publishing for this photo op and their long-time support of Texas readers, librarians, and the Texas Library Association)

Done and dusted – another A2Z Challenge mastered! (reflective) #A2Z

May1
Logo for 2026 A to Z, Blogging from A to Z April Challenge 2010-2026, with flower and butterfly on marbled background. a-to-zchallenge.com

For the 15th year in a row, I’ve successfully completed the April A to Z Blogging Challenge (http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/) by writing 26 posts alphabetically AND posting them all AND posting each on its specific day, on time.

Fifteen years of the 16 that BooksYALove has existed!

And here is usually where I state what my posting schedule will probably look like, going forward.

But I think I’ll just leave that open. (this last year and a half folks…oof)

I will keep writing recommendations of middle grade, young adult, and picturebooks for all ages – no spoilers, no ads, no affiliate links, and no “A.I.” ever.

I will keep centering debut authors, under-represented creators and communities, and smaller publishers.

I will keep hoping that the right reader finds their just-right book with help from BooksYALove and that someday, someone will tell me that they did.

Have you picked up any books that I’ve recommended?
**kmm

Z is Zuzanna Celej illustrating THE VASE WITH THE GOLDEN CRACKS by Fran Nuno (Picturebook) #A2Z

Apr30
A young Japanese boy drops a piece of paper into a round flower-painted vase with cracks highlighted with gold, on book cover of The Vase with the Golden Cracks, by Fran Nuno.

In the vase were the words,
in the words were the meanings,
in those meanings is the story.

His father kept Japanese words in a beautiful vase, words whose meanings didn’t exist in other languages, and would read a new one to him every day.

The boy’s favorite was ikigai, referring to our mission in life, “the one that makes us wake up every day with joy.” (pg. 7)

One day, the boy accidentally breaks the vase, his father mends it, and the word-filled vase is more beautiful than ever.

A lovely addition to this story of why its author became a writer is the list of other words kept in the vase and their meanings.

This book is printed on “Stone Paper” which isn’t made from trees (https://www.cuentodeluz.com/pages/stone-paper-2) so its pages turn with a weighty yet fluid feel unlike most picturebooks’ shiny color-printed paper.

What word with special meaning would you add to your vase?
**kmm

Book info: The Vase With the Golden Cracks / Fran Nuno; illustrated by Zuzanna Celej; translated by Jon Brokenbow. Cuento de Luz, 2024. [author site, in Spanish https://www.frannuno.es/BIOGRAF-A/] [illustrator info https://theplumagency.com/illustrators/zuzanna_celej] [publisher site https://www.cuentodeluz.com/products/9788419464958?_pos=1&_sid=32c21897a&_ss=r] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher, via Publisher Spotlight.

Y is for THE MANY MISFORTUNES OF EUGENIA WANG, by Stan Yan (MG Graphic Novel) #A2Z

Apr29
A column of flames roars upward against a black background with gray images of her family, friends, and dog. In front of the flames, a tween Chinese-American girl wearing glasses clings to a PE climbing rope, looking anxiously upward at book title The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang, graphic novel by Stan Yan.

Only turn 13 once!
Can’t her party be on her birthday?
Bad luck, bad luck!!

Eugenia loves drawing and wants comics camp as her 13th birthday present, but her stereotypical Chinese-American mother says no art, only study hard, play violin, become a doctor or lawyer.

And she can’t even have her party on her actual birthdate because the Cantonese words for ‘four’ sound like death, so April 4th is doubly cursed, according to Mom.

Eugenia and bestie Keisha decide to have a party on 4/4 at her friend’s house (with K’s dads’ permission) for their classmates, including cute Enrique (swoon).

After a concussion in PE class, Eugenia keeps having a terrible nightmare of fire and disaster. Each time it hits her – day and night – the terrible vision’s scope shows her more and more people dying, even her annoying little brother and her dog, then she draws comics of it in her sleep! Is a spirit trying to warn her? A demon?

Yes, she will get to summer art camp, even if she has to use her own money and the nightmare comic as portfolio piece!

As the days before her birthday march on, Eugenia tries to figure out what the nightmare is telling her and how she can save her family and friends and pet from the disaster it foretells!

Don’t miss the debut author/artist’s notes in the back of this red-hot graphic novel!

What was your most memorable birthday party?
**kmm

Book info: The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang / words and art by Stan Yan. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2025.[author/artist site https://www.stanyan.me/] [publisher site https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Many-Misfortunes-of-Eugenia-Wang/Stan-Yan/9781665943321] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

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.

W is for WINGING IT as new kid, far from friends, by Megan Wagner Lloyd & Michelle Mee Nutter (MG Graphic Novel) #A2Z

Apr27
A moving van is behind a Black tween girl laden with satchel, duffel bag, and rolling suitcase. Above her is book title Winging It and a luna moth flying away.

Moving to Virginia?
Leaving all her friends in California?
Oh, Dad….

Luna’s mom died long ago, so the 12 year old only has photos to remember her by and definitely didn’t inherit her love of nature and the outdoors.

Staying with so-strict Grandmother until they find their own place near DC is going to be rough – so many rules! No shoes indoors, don’t touch this, always do this.

At least the neighbors have kids – same-age Oliver who wear hearing aids and younger Sophie who wants to be a detective. One of their moms is Black and one isn’t, like Luna’s dad and mom were.

Grandmother lets her look through Mom’s collection of nature journals, and Luna decides to start her own. Big goal – see a Luna moth in the wild next spring!

Month by month, Luna gets used to having seasons, meeting with the Environmental Club at her new school, gardening with Grandmother.

Seventh grade is a hard time to start over, but Luna makes the best of things in this big-hearted graphic novel.

What’s your favorite part of nature?
**kmm

Book info: Winging It / Megan Wagner Lloyd; illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter. Graphix / Scholastic, 2025. [author site https://meganwagnerlloyd.com/winging-it/] [illustrator site https://michellemee.com/] [publisher site https://shop.scholastic.com/parent-ecommerce/books/winging-it-9781338818529.html] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

V is for VERN: CUSTODIAN OF THE UNIVERSE, by Tyrell Waiters (YA Graphic Novel) #A2Z

Apr25
A young Tshirt-clad Black man holding a mop in bucket strides out of a billowing planet-studded cloud into a dark starry sky, toward book title Vern Custodian of the Universe, by Tyrell Waiters.

Mop and bucket,
always on call,
gotta save the multiverse?!

Burned out from fruitless job hunt in California, Vern heads to Florida where his grandmother has a position lined up for him… as janitor at a tech company seeking a new home for humanity before climate change destroys the planet.

The young Black man knows that Granny and his late Grandpa met at Quasar, but he’s not sure that cleaning up space goo filled with eyes or upside down rooms is for him.

Oops! Vern might have unplugged that old clunky computer, so he plugs it back in and is instantly transported to the furthest edge of the multiverse where The Void asks “What is the point?” and sends him back to Quasar to get the answer.

Except it’s not his Quasar and not his universe! He learns that whenever Quasar scientists on any of the Earths think they’ve found a suitable planet, The Void is there to stop them.

Now Vern has to jump through several universes and unplug each identical machine there like the one he accidentally activated on his Earth before the universes collide!

When will The Void summon Vern to answer the question?
How is Quasar really using their space technologies?
Why does Granny keep saying that Grandpa is always watching over Vern?

Every universe that Vern encounters has its own unique art style in this astronomically good graphic novel. Check out the first pages on the publisher’s website, for free: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/714042/vern-custodian-of-the-universe-by-tyrell-waiters/

Where would you like to instantaneously travel to in space?
**kmm

Book info: Vern: Custodian of the Universe / Tyrell Waiters. Flying Eye Books, 2025. [author site https://www.tartwurk.com/] [publisher site https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/714042/vern-custodian-of-the-universe-by-tyrell-waiters/] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

U is unbelievable, astounding, enlightening: LISTIFIED! Britannica’s 300 Lists That Will Blow Your Mind, by Pettie & Lozano (kids nonfiction) #A2Z

Apr24
Book title LISTIFIED! down center of book cover, with hand-drawn collections of bugs, living things, dinosaurs, bones, eggs, snowflakes, dogs wearing graduation hats, vehicles, and sea creatures to the left, and text to right: Britannica's 300 lists that will blow your mind, about all sorts of things... by Andrew Pettie

A brachiosaurus would equal the weight of how many housecats?
If Earth were the size of a cherry, how big would Saturn and Mars be?
What animals can run faster than a horse for 20 miles?

Fastest travel time around the world, surprising things that have fallen from the sky, organs that your body can survive without (and why) – if you want to know lots of things about lots of subjects, turn to Listified!

Its highly illustrated lists are grouped into chapters on
space, nature, dinosaur times, animals, the body, being human, inventions, and game changers.

Learn about the most visited monuments and buildings in the world, biggest machines ever built, important women in medical history, most unusual modern jobs, and much more.

Whether you choose a page at random or read an entire chapter, you’ll discover something new and can be absolute;u sure that it’s true because everything has been thoroughly reviewed by the Encyclopedia Britannica team.

Are you a list-maker, too?
**kmm

Book info: Listified! Britannica’s 300 Lists That Will Blow Your Mind / Andrew Pettie; illustrated by Andres Lozano. Britannica Books, 2021. [author site https://www.instagram.com/andrewjpettie/] [artist site https://www.sensgallery.com/artists/andres-lozano] [publisher site https://www.whatonearthbooks.com/us/product/listified/] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

T is THE TRAVELING TACO & origins of our favorite foods! by Mia Wenjen & Kimberlie Clinthorne-Wong (kids nonfiction) #A2Z

Apr23
Clockwise around title of book The Traveling Taco: the Amazing & Surprising Journey of Many of Your Favorite Foods, by Mia Wenjen: a huge ice cream cone, shaped pasta, French fries, juice, onion, spaghetti twirled on a fork, fish, pomegranate half, taco, olives, ginger, and shrimp.

We love it!
Let’s eat it!
It came from where?

Did you know that French fries didn’t originate in France, and cheesecake began in ancient Greece?

Find out about the roots of a dozen favorite foods and how cooks adapted them to new places using the ingredients and methods available there.

Learn the fascinating histories of fish and chips, jerk chicken, pizza, pasta, and more.

Each favorite food’s double-page spread includes what it is, where it came from, a “did you know?” fact, a rhyme, and how it changed in its new place.

“Recipes are crafted to delight and to nourish.
When a recipe travels, new minds help it flourish.
Popular foods can evolve over time.
Cooks add small changes that make them sublime.” (preface)

Kids of all ages will learn something new about a popular food in this yummy book (I did)!

What’s your favorite food?
**kmm

Book info: The Traveling Taco: the Amazing & Surprising Journey of Many of Your Favorite Foods / Mia Wenjen; illustrated by Kimberlie Clinthorpe-Wong. Red Comet Press, 2025. [author site https://miawenjen.com/the-traveling-taco/] [illustrator site https://www.kimberliewong.com/] [publisher site https://www.redcometpress.com/nonfiction/taco] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher, via Publisher Spotlight.