Barbra Hesson presents her curated selection of children's books for June, offering engaging reads that blend education and entertainment for young audiences. Each title is independently chosen, and purchases through our links may support our work.
West Coast Wild: Seashore Hide and Seek
Written by Deborah Hodge and Illustrated by Karen Reczuch, this board book from Groundwood Books is perfectly sized for little hands. Through realistic illustrations, children can explore the vibrant creatures and plants of the seashore that remain hidden until low tide reveals them. Animals that swim, scurry, crawl, creep, and hide are depicted in their natural habitats surrounded by unique marine flora. Both young and adult readers will appreciate this informative guide to coastal life.
Eon My Pet Tardigrade
Cybele Young and illustrator Neil Jocelyn bring us this Tundra publication about a young girl who discovers a strange, tiny creature under her microscope. Resembling a chubby bear and no bigger than a speck, it is a tardigrade. Through research, she learns these are among the most resilient animals, surviving extreme cold, heat, mountains, oceans, and even outer space. When dormant, they curl into balls and can drift for years in the wind. This vibrant, fun book will inspire young readers to seek out their own superhero moss piglets.
The Burrowing Owls of the Prairie Grasslands
Deborah Hodge and Karen Reczuch collaborate again on this Groundwood non-fiction title. Stunning illustrations bring to life the burrowing owls that migrate from Texas and Mexico to raise families in Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. Male owls find abandoned burrows left by other diggers; females join them to lay and hatch up to 12 eggs. The owls face predators and food scarcity, but eventually outgrow their burrow. By fall, they migrate back south. Children who love owls will also learn about recovery programs helping this endangered species thrive.
Kidnapped from Ukraine: Standoff
Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch's Scholastic novel follows Rada and her father as they are separated from her twin sister and mother when a bomb hits their Mariupol apartment in 2022. They find refuge in the tunnels and bomb shelters of the Azovstal Iron and Steel Plant, where food is scarce and conditions are dire amid Russian bombing. New friendships form, and Rada's father joins the resistance. When she gets a chance to escape, she must leave him behind. The trilogy's final installment, Still Alive, sees Rada and her mother searching for Daria and her father. This is a heart-wrenching and heart-warming tale of resilience and survival during war.
