Reassurances and rescues

Rose Weaves a Garden

Rashin Kheiriyeh
Anne Schwartz Books, 40 pages

In “a city so old, they call it ancient,” Rose is fascinated with the artistic Persian rugs her grand­father weaves on his loom. Inspired by the beauty of a garden, the little girl draws a picture and tells her Baba joon that she wants to make the design into a rug. Together, they begin work on the project. But when her Baba joon becomes ill, Rose must decide whether to continue weaving the rug on her own. Colorful oil and acrylic illustrations fill the book, with some pages showing the process of dyeing the yarn and tying the knots. In a note on the copyright page, the author writes about her own Baba joon, who also used this Iranian style of weaving to make beautiful rugs. Note: The girl’s mother encourages her to pray for her grandpa when he is sick, but there is no mention of who they are praying to. Ages 4-8

Orris and Timble: Lost and Found

Kate DiCamillo
Candlewick, 80 pages

In this sequel, Orris the old rat and Timble the young owl enjoy a simple friendship. Every night, Orris tells Timble a story from one of his books. But one evening, Timble doesn’t come. After two nights, the rat gives up on his friend’s return, thinking that the owl forgot him and all his kind deeds. But Timble, inspired by one of Orris’ stories, has gotten lost while trying to reach the moon. Young children will be able to relate to the owl’s fear when he is lost and trying to find his way back to his friend. They will also understand the rat’s hesitation to trust his friend again after their separation. The slow, simple sentences pair with Carmen Mok’s pencil and gouache illustrations to provide young readers with a digestible story they can read on their own. Ages 5-8

Birdlore

Jess Keating
Knopf Books, 40 pages

While Audubon may be a household name among bird-watchers, lesser known is the story of Florence Merriam Bailey. Even as a child, Bailey was a keen observer of birds, noting their behaviors and characteristics and eagerly sharing her knowledge with others. But she was dismayed by the common practice in the late 1880s of hunting birds to harvest their feathers for ladies’ hats. Bailey was convinced that if she helped others see the beauty of birds alive in the wild that the demand for hat plumes would diminish. She started by leading friends on bird-watching walks and then compiled her notes and observations into the first field guide for American birds. Although the author’s note favors an environmentalist message, the story highlights the importance of wise stewardship over creation. Ages 4-8

Miss Prim Goes Wild

Katy Rose
Waterbrook, 40 pages

Miss Prim is precise, punctual, stern, and strict—especially in her yard. She snips misbehaving blades of grass, pulls pesky wildflowers, and shoos away birds and bees. But after an injury leaves her housebound, Miss Prim can’t maintain her uptight habits and her yard goes wild. At first, Miss Prim is appalled by the transformation that happened during her hiatus and sets out to rectify the situation. But then she discovers an overgrown lawn is surprisingly soft and restful, pesky wildflowers are fragrant and lovely, and nesting chicks are cuddly and cute. Instead of being irritated by nature’s shenanigans, Miss Prim embraces the beauty she finds. Thai My Phuong’s illustrations offer lots of details for children to pore over. One critique: No one helps Miss Prim when she falls; the children giggle instead. Ages 4-7