Articles

Global Family Recipes Feed Young Readers
This article was authored by Publisher Spotlight intern Hannah Webster. For teachers and caregivers who want to strengthen cultural awareness and family bonds, this delicious collection of picture books focuses on the universal joy of cooking together. These stories celebrate diverse family traditions and encourage young readers to explore the kitchen as a space for… Read more: Global Family Recipes Feed Young Readers
Spotlight on Tapioca Stories
Floating amid the wide and wonderful ocean of children’s books are special treasures: international books. When we look at tales from beyond our borders, our eyes and hearts open to new perspectives and deeper truths. In the case of Yael Berstein–the one-woman-powerhouse behind Tapioca Stories—we also find out-of-the-box surprises that dazzle and delight. Tapioca Stories… Read more: Spotlight on Tapioca Stories
A Letter from Publisher Spotlight’s President
November 7, 2024 The next weeks, months, and years will have challenges we hoped to never see again. Yet, we can’t lose sight of the reality that our work is important–enabling children to learn, grow, engage, and empathize through amazing and distinctive books from publishers with vision, purpose, and creativity. Book challenges may escalate and… Read more: A Letter from Publisher Spotlight’s President
Explore Diversity in Jewish Identity with Picture Books
Culture and tradition are part and parcel of every person’s identity and yet many of us—perhaps especially in the United States—tend to see the identities of those around us as flattened into tropes. Instead of ignoring the nuances that encompass unforced and forced migrations, developments in social and political surroundings, and even availability of food… Read more: Explore Diversity in Jewish Identity with Picture Books
Spotlight on Cuento de Luz
Are you wanting to add some light to your bookshelf? Look to Spanish publisher Cuento de LuzI True to its name, which translates to “Tale of Light” in English, Cuento de Luz publishes stories for youth that illuminate important issues while remaining uplifting and hopeful. Founded in 2007 by Ana Eulate, Cuento de Luz aims… Read more: Spotlight on Cuento de Luz
Building Stories
Introducing children to participating in and observing the natural world holds well-acknowledged merit—as well as rich offerings in current children’s books. No matter how urban a child’s environment may be, there are almost always snatches of nature available: the sky and weather; a vendor selling fruit that was planted and grown to be eaten and… Read more: Building Stories
Reviewer Spotlight: Jennifer Wharton, Youth Services Librarian
One in an occasional set of interviews with the reviewers who provide critical insights about new books from our client publishers. Jennifer Wharton has been on our list of reviewers for about two years now and provides a librarian’s look at how titles will work in programs, supporting curriculum, or circulating amongst her library patrons.… Read more: Reviewer Spotlight: Jennifer Wharton, Youth Services Librarian
Spotlight on Walker Books Australia
You may be familiar with this tagline: “For the best books, look for the bear.” This fall, the bear from down under is making its way to the U.S. market! Walker Books Australia, based in Sydney, has been home to beautiful, high-quality picture books, fiction, and nonfiction for more than thirty years. Part of the… Read more: Spotlight on Walker Books Australia
Graphic Novels Without Capes: Q&A with Pop Culture Classroom
Graphic novels, manga, and comics have been gaining popularity among readers of all ages over the past several decades–and more acceptance as teaching texts more recently. Publisher Spotlight is delighted to share that three of our client publishers held six of the finalist positions, and a category winner, among the Pop Culture Classroom: Excellence in… Read more: Graphic Novels Without Capes: Q&A with Pop Culture Classroom
Photo Perfect Picture Books
Picture book illustrators use so many different media to create engaging—and often revealing—elements for the pages children examine during read-aloud times. Sometimes the illustrator makes use of a tool other than a brush, a pencil, pen, or cut paper. Sometimes, we see picture books—in a range of age interests from board books to informational books… Read more: Photo Perfect Picture Books
Women Who Connect the World of Books to Readers
August is celebrated annually as Women In Translation Month. This is the time when we turn specific attention—and give gratitude—to the women writers and the women translators who make possible access to stories from many languages to readers who can access them only in their own home languages. Professional translation is an art, just as… Read more: Women Who Connect the World of Books to Readers
One, Two, Three, Plot Twist!
One of the developmental steps in reading proficiency is learning how to predict while suspending certainty sufficiently to discover what actually occurs in the text. If the author had only one path to take and we could predict it with total accuracy, reading as recreation—which is how we get enough practice to make reading a… Read more: One, Two, Three, Plot Twist!