Children’s Books to look forward to in July 2019

Another month and more great books coming out! In July 2019 children’s books, there are kindergarten stories and star myths and stem books and more. As always, the ones we extra super love are marked with an asterisk.

Jen’s July Recommendations

Superbuns! by Diane Kredensor (2 July 2019, Aladdin)

A sweet story about kindness and sibling relationships. I love how there are random facts sprinkled through the story (courtesy of Superbun’s older sister, Blossom), and the illustrations are great (my favourite is the spread of the town and Main Street; I like urban scenes even in picture books about bunnies). I also quite like the sound of a hot carrot cobbler with a glass of cold milk. Mmm.

I’m Trying to Love Math by Bethany Barton (2 July 2019, Viking Books for Young Readers)*

This book is perfect for any child (or grown-up, for that matter) who struggles with maths and doesn’t see the point of learning it in school. This is a funny and interesting book full of bright and fun illustrations, interesting facts, and it really does show you how maths can be fun — and if not fun then definitely important and used in many different applications in real life. A great addition to the ever-growing market of STEM books.

Moon Babies by Karen Jameson, illustrated by Amy Hevron (2 July 2019, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers)

A beautifully illustrated book about baby moons in a celestial nursery. The text is lyrical and rhyming and lovely to read aloud, and it would make a great new-baby present. It’s also great for fans of books about stars, moons, and the night sky.

Truman by Jean Reidy, illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins (9 July 2019, Atheneum Books for Young Readers)*

A really sweet and surprisingly wonderful picture book about the adventures of a tortoise when his human goes off on her first day of school. The illustrations are gorgeous, and I love the story too: about adventure and being brave, as well as about the love and affection between a girl and her pet. One of my favourites of the year.

I am a Tiger by Karl Newson, illustrated by Ross Collins (30 July 2019, Scholastic Press)

A mouse tries to convince a bunch of animals that he’s a tiger… And then comes across an actual tiger. Uh oh! This is a fun book that’s kind of about identity and discovering who you are, but I think it really is just a cool way to talk about the different physical characteristics of various animals.

Margaret’s July Recommendations

Little Red Reading Hood and the Misread Wolf by Troy Wilson, illustrated by Ilaria Campana (02 July 2019, Running Press) *

Since I’m obsessed with both books and little red riding hood, this picture book made me ooh when it came in the mail. Give me all the LRRH’s with smart and witty protagonists. This is perfect for early elementary ages, and the art is fun and crisp.

Star Stories: Constellation Tales From Around the World by Anita Ganeri, illustrated by Andy Wilks (02 July 2019, Running Press) *

The illustrations in this collection of myths about the stars are gorgeous. And the tales are diverse, engaging, and lovely. This is both a collectible and a book to be read again and again. It’s for older ages, late elementary and above.

Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend! by Cori Doerrfeld (02 July 2019, Dial Books)

I haven’t read this one yet, but it looks like a super sweet little picture book about making friends and going to school for the first time. You can see a lot of the pages on the Amazon preview. It’s by the same author/illustrator as The Rabbit Listened.

The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton (02 July 2019, Nancy Paulsen Books) *

This adorable book is perfect for children starting kindergarten in August. The illustrations are happy and vibrant and look like a mix of chalk and paint. It’s written in the second person and future tense, which normally I would think wouldn’t work, but in this case, it makes for an empowering read for future school goers.

A Girl Called Genghis Khan: How Maria Toorpakai Wazir Pretended to Be a Boy, Defied the Taliban, and Became a World Famous Squash Player by Michelle Lord, illustrated by Shehzil Malik (23 July 2019, Sterling)

This picture book biography tells of Maria Toorpakai Wazir’s fight to be a squash player in Pakistan under the Taliban. It’s an inspiring story about gender inequality and about recent sports history for elementary aged children.