Grandparents’ Day seems extra special this year as so many of our families reach out across households to keep in touch when we can’t touch. Sharing books across generations can provide emotional comfort, whether you hold story time in the relative safety of outdoors or through video chats across the miles. If you are lucky enough to have a grandmother and/or grandfather at home with you, you might want to honor Grandparents’ Day by asking them to tell you and your children a family story of their own.
To prime the pump of storytelling, here are some published ones to get your homegrown story hour started:
I’ll Be the Water, by Alec Aspinwall and illustrated by Nicole Wong, is new from Tilbury House. Right now you can download a NetGalley advance copy. This is a picture book that crosses generations to tell the story of life changes and family memories, its golden palette of images as comforting as Grandpa’s assurances:
“Think of it this way,” Grandpa says. “Today, you and I are like two fish swimming together in this lake. When I die, things will be different. I won’t be a fish anymore, but I’ll become something even better. My love will be like the water in the lake. You might think I’m not with you, but we’ll be closer than ever because you’ll be surrounded by my love.”
Award-winning children’s author Meg Medina’s Mango, Abuela, and Me can be enjoyed in its fullest with Live Oak Media’s read-along version in which narrators Alisa, Rosi, and Brian Amador share this sweet story of “connecting across a generational and language divide.” As Live Oak Media reliably does, there is a musical bed, as well as well delivered Spanish, to support the telling of a grandmother and grandchild who don’t share a common spoken language. The illustrations by Angela Dominguez, packaged with the read-along recording, further enhance this presentation.
Lapsitting readers can explore Tiger Tales Books’ Pancakes with Grandma, a board book illustrated by Seb Braun with flaps to lift—and a simple pancake recipe for the ambitious adult willing to head to the kitchen with the toddler in the lead. 
While making pancakes is a great way to share an activity with a grandparent, Inhabit Media’s Fishing with Grandma, written by Susan Avingaq and Maren Vsetula and illustrated by Charlene Chua, shows picture book readers of all ages a customary alternative activity for families in an Inuit community.
Sometimes geographic distance, as well as the current need for social distance, makes a visit with a grandparent an undertaking of travel and crossing cultures. Cassava Republic’s alphabet book A Fun ABC, by Sade Fedipe and Shedrach Ayalomeh,, takes readers along with Adanah as she goes to visit her grandfather in Modakeke, Nigeria. Beautifully painted scenes and a rhyming text invite lots of exploration and sharing possibilities for other words that begin with each letter featured on its own page spread.
Independent readers who enjoy solving puzzles and have a sense of humor, too, can discover Floris Books’ junior detective series by David Macphail. The titles in “Top-secret Grandad and Me” series include young Jay Patel, son of a disappeared magician, who joins forces with his departed grandfather, a ghost, to solve local mysteries. Yes, these are every bit as much fun as the set up!
However you’re celebrating Grandparents’ Day, pack along a book. And remember to ask for family stories, too!
September is a time to celebrate how diverse and welcoming children’s book exploration proves to be. As we open the doors to 
language readers who might not be able to enjoy them without these excellent translations. Pulling from contemporary catalogs in various European countries, Gecko Press always has something new, fun, and often insight-provoking to share with English language readers. Rosa Lagercrantz writes early chapter books in Swedish and thanks to Julia Marshall, the translator, English language reading kids have come to love her series featuring Dani, a middle grade girl who leads a happy life with some realistic downs as well as ups. With illustrations by Eva Eriksson, we follow Dani through My Happy Life, My Heart Is Laughing, Where Dani Goes, Happy Follows, and All’s Happy That Ends Happy. You can also explore the stand-alone, Life According to Dani, of which Horn Book says: “The world according to Dani is one that holds disconcerting surprises, drama, humor, play, and flashes of pure joy. This excellent series shows no signs of losing steam.”
What on Earth Books, already well recognized for their English language nonfiction for kids, also provides English language readers with fascinating informational books in translation. From France, you can explore all that happens 
From Lantana, English language readers can discover Polish author and illustrator Pawel Pawlak’s 
The Dog Patrol
to providing “a good way to inform young children of the emotional and behavioral aspects, plus accountability, of what pet ownership entails,” as CM: The Canadian Review of Materials notes in its review. If picture books are your particular interest when it comes to sharing information about caring for a baby pet, you’ll be delighted to find we’re including Pajama Press’ 
Another dog-themed picture book in this collection of pet books is the final episode in Inhabit Media’s stories about the sled dog Kamik. In 
now includes 
Maybe the pet your young reader has in mind is bigger than a dog? Also included in our prize pack are three volumes of “
Series can be highly attractive to the book lover, whether they are in the wild or in a library or bookshop. Coming soon from Floris Books is the conclusion to a fantasy trilogy from Ross MacKenzie: 
audiobook format, thanks to Live Oak Media. Sammy Keyes has adventures aplenty and takes on solving mysteries at home and well beyond. Narrator Tara Sands won AudioFile Magazine’s Earphones Award for her recreation of our heroine in 
And speaking of great reviews and a tween book lover’s treasure, be sure you gift your local young reader with Michelle Kadarusman’s 
Two more #OwnVoices novels for your young book lover come from Cassava Republic and from Kube Publishing. From the former, 
of Johannesburg, South Africa, and a collection of kids with whom your young book lover will be able to relate readily. The latter has given teen readers the opportunity to read 
Does your book lover have a soft spot for graphic novels? Delight them with Gecko Press’ brand new 
characters here is himself a book lover. And when he meets a camera-loving new friend, the two stumble onto…but wait, read it for yourself!
In keeping with both the theme of friendship and the international aspects of the United Nations, French author Gilles Baum’s 
Series books for kids are another way of making friends inside of books. The Junior Library Guild 
selected Pablo Albo’s 
How about an American story of friendship retold with a stylistic twist from Asia? Dip into Manga Classics’ version of Mark Twain’s 
In a board book format with high-contrast pictures and simple text, Tiger Tales’ 
National Geographic publishes a series of beginning reader books about the natural world and about a dozen of these have been recorded with professional voice actors by Live Oak Media. You can find each title in kit form, with a compact disc and photo-rich pictures, as well as in the new format, 
From Pajama Press, the new picture book 
from Booklist Magazine. Enjoy this picture book retelling of the Inuit creation story about how wildlife attributes–like tusks and antlers–might have needed some juggling to get things to look as we know them now. Follow that up with Inhabit Media’s beautiful 
Wildlife adapts in many ways to live in many environments where different needs and challenges may present themselves. 
Ready to go exploring wildlife on your own with your young scientist? Take along Agnes & Aubrey’s 
While every day is a good day to listen here are some extra ideas for July 18, which is World Listening Day.
listen for the natural soundscape you find. Use your audiobook literacy skills to help you notice and identify the rich sounds of your local environment and how they change from hour to hour through the day, and as you move from place to place, even if it’s just from one point to another in a walk around your block or up and down the staircase of your building.
Several countries, towns, and neighborhoods around the world celebrate official Picnic Days in July. Even in a year when attending a big outdoor gathering might not work well, you can still have a variety of picnic events on a smaller scale. Pack a basket or a paper bag, take a tablecloth or a towel to a park, to your own backyard or porch, or even your living room floor, and enjoy a July picnic. Besides the food, be sure to pack a good book or three to share between courses.
If you’ve had the opportunity to take your picnic outdoors, you may have a variety of tiny visitors, including ants and, of course, flies. If this seems a likely part of your picnic, pack along Cicada Books’ 
suggestions, including recipes for kid-friendly outdoor meals. Even if you and yours won’t be preparing these specific dishes, you’ll find inspiration for including some of your own warm weather treats in this recent 
rich in exploration and learning opportunities just right for preschoolers. In 
Fathers receive their special day of public (and family) recognition on the third Sunday of June. To celebrate, we’ve gone to our stacks to show off some books featuring stories (and pictures) about dads. 
Barefoot Books’ board book 
For dads and kids who are ready for some activity inspiration, there’s 
Beginning readers can share Toon Books’ 
unfolding the story of a little boy who decides to go off roaming on his own in Central park when his father becomes absorbed in a boring adult conversation with another grownup. Follow Luke’s path up hill, down dale, around pond and over puddle, and lots more. Then dad and child reading at home can draw their own maps of neighborhood paths they might imagine taking when on the loose.
Stark and illustrated by Belgian artist Kitty Crowther, translated by Julia Marshall, has appeal as international as its creators. This picture book offers a tale of adventure undertaken by a small boy and his grandfather, both of whom are in need of escaping their circumstances if even for a brief sally into the wider world. If you’re connected across generations by video chat between grandparent and child households these days, share this one so granddads and grandchildren can have a shared experience, too
McCluskey’s 
Brand new and available in two different formats from two of our favorite publishers is Shabazz Larkin’s The Thing about Bees: A Love Letter. The picture book version was published by 
publishing is 
Also from Live Oak Media, be sure to listen to Odyssey Honor winner Trombone Shorty, the picture book autobiography by 
Tilbury House’s recent picture book, 
Black lives they reflect. One of Worcester Public Library’s bookmobiles sports a giant reproduction of 
There’s a lot of Black joy and shared human experiences 
beyond the United States, of course. Author artist 
From Spanish publisher NubeOcho, and available in both Spanish and English editions, 
with gorgeous illustrations by Anna Cunha, may be the perfect book for this pandemic summer of changed routines in readers’ own lives. Each day of her summer season, Afiya’s white dress collects the beuty of that day’s adventures.
readers in a colorfully illustrated edition published by Barefoot Books.