Memorable moments and machines

Dear Duck, Please Come!

Sarah Mackenzie
Waxwing Books, 40 pages

This delightful book opens with Duck receiving a letter from his friend Rabbit, who writes: “Please come! I lost my tooth!” Alarmed that his friend has lost such an important thing, Duck immediately sets out to look for the missing tooth. Along the way he meets Badger, Turtle, and Squirrel, who offer to join the search because “it’s a good-friend thing to do.” When the tooth does not appear, Duck believes he has failed his friend until Rabbit reveals there’s been a bit of a misunderstanding. Mackenzie offers a satisfying conclusion celebrating the little joys of lost teeth and the big blessings of dear friends. With the book’s message and Charles Santoso’s endearing ­illustrations capturing the heart of the story, Dear Duck, Please Come! is likely to make many appearances on the bedtime story circuit. Ages 4-6

Becoming Real

Molly Golden
Clarion Books, 48 pages

A little over a century ago, Margery Williams penned The Velveteen Rabbit, a timeless story about the special bond between a boy and his beloved stuffed bunny. In Becoming Real, author Molly Golden explores what led Williams to write her famous picture book. Williams’ childhood memories of her beloved playthings and her observations of her children’s interactions with their own toys sparked the premise that formed the beloved story about love, loss, and becoming real. Sprinkled throughout the pages, which feature Paola Escobar’s lovely illustrations, readers will find memorable quotes from The Velveteen Rabbit. While the author’s note offers more background information about Williams, parts of another section with “social-­emotional activities to share with your toy” seem a bit silly. Ages 4-8

Wind Watchers

Micha Archer
Nancy Paulsen Books, 32 pages

Micha Archer pairs her vibrant ink and collage illustrations with descriptive words that invite young children to explore the ways wind moves through the seasons. She employs a touch of personification as the children ask Wind for a gust to fly a kite, a breeze to cool them off, or a push across the skating pond. During a thunderstorm, the children watch from inside as Wind goes wild, but on fall days “when Wind just wants to play, we put down our rakes and join in.” The simple text allows Archer’s art to shine, and each turn of the page offers a visual feast of colors and textures. At story’s end the children marvel at how Wind takes their breath away, but families may want to reflect instead on how wind, like all of creation, declares the wonders of our Creator. Ages 3-7

Rube Goldberg’s Big Book of Building

Jennifer George & Zach Umperovitch
Abrams, 240 pages

In this fun STEM-themed book, the authors challenge kids to create 25 unique Rube Goldberg machines using common household supplies—and a little parental supervision. The book begins by introducing the different types of energy and simple machines that readers will use in constructing the various inventions, which are divided into five skill levels. Ed Steckley’s step-by-step illustrations are easy to follow as kids build contraptions to help them, for example, clean a room, feed a pet, or water a plant. Kids will also enjoy the additional jokes and random trivia boxes accompanying each machine tutorial. The endnotes briefly share about Rube Goldberg and offer additional interesting info. Note: One of the fact boxes suggests flowers appeared “about 150 million years ago.” Ages 8-12