A very breezy non-fiction picture book about sharks that is at a reader level.

The pictures are adorable and there are a delightful assortment of sharks.

To really push this book to the top it needed one more line as the solo line at the end messes up the rhythm of the book. It think it is trying to pair with the first line of the book (the first line ends with “today”, and the last line begins with “today”). However this isn’t very successful since the rhyme scheme in the rest of the book is so strong.

The Verts: A Story of Introverts and Extroverts by Ann Patchett

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lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Ann Patchett and Robin Preiss Glasser what a lineup. Love the art so so much.

As an introvert I am squinting my eyes at Estie commandeering Ivan’s birthday and throwing a party. Because just because I don’t want a party doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have wanted to do SOMETHING with my family or one friend on my birthday.

This book also discludes the existence of social introverts which is typical and sad ( the twist could have been that after the party was over Estie needed alone time to recharge her social battery).

Ivan is the only one clearly coded as an introvert (you could also make a case for Mrs. Vert) which makes Ivan seem like the odd one out. And I’ve never been in a gathering where only one introvert is present (including parties).

With all that ranting you might think I didn’t enjoy this but I actually did. I like that the parents are accepting and loving of their children as they are (Mr. Vert could do a little more because Mrs. Vert is the one always checking in on Ivan). I love the quiet diversity of the friends and neighbors. And again, I really, really love the art.

The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz

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lighthearted fast-paced