Happy Book Birthday: May New Releases

May marks the beginning of many sunny days and the birthday of some exciting new releases! From captivating stories to fun adventures, this month is packed with treasures to explore.

New Picture Books

String Ball by Chris Monroe

• Interest Level: PreK – 2

When a curious kitten stumbles upon its young owner’s string ball craft project, slips inside, and begins to roll, a series of rollicking adventures unfolds! This nearly wordless picture book employs a limited palette and offers a fresh new approach from beloved author-illustrator Chris Monroe.

“This work of limited words is a fun little adventure of a classically mischievous cat getting into a pickle.”—Booklist

“Featuring spare visuals yet extravagant in its storytelling, a satisfying tale for impatient kittens everywhere.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Crafting meets cat curiosity in this purr-fectly elegant, nearly wordless story from Monroe.”—Publishers Weekly

“A fun book that requires a sense of story and an attention to detail.”—School Library Journal

Diggers, Dozers & Dumpers by Ole Könnecke

This original picture book about construction vehicles combines facts and details about excavators, trucks, cranes and more with funny stories about the animal engineers operating them, sure to delight machine enthusiasts of all sizes.

“This book is perfect for shared story hours, and will have children imagining their own fields of play and the equipment they might need. . . What a joyful way to impart information, complete with a female-heavy group of workers, and make children rethink what they know about tools.”—School Library Journal

New Graphic Novels

Erin and Yrso: Book 1 by Lylian and illustrated by Paul Drouin

When a colossal force of nature named Yrso awakens from its ancient slumber, it asks young Erin for protection. To save the world, they will have to unite in a special kind of harmony . . . .

“A tender tale of grief propelled into a fantastical, globe-trotting adventure.”—Kirkus Reviews

New Fiction

Sometimes the Girl by Jennifer Mason-Black

When eighteen-year-old Holiday, an aspiring writer, gets a short-term job sorting through the attic of an acclaimed elderly author, the author’s secrets change how Holi views art and life.

“Mason-Black’s prose sparkles with poetic beauty as Holi engages in introspective musings about collective mourning and how individual healing is possible only in community. . .This striking work shows the power of intergenerational relationships to fortify queer artists against erasure. . .Beautifully written and powerfully uplifting.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews

“A touching coming-of-age novel about healing and connection. Holi’s story models radical empathy, and its conclusion acknowledges that language is the only tool that may bridge the gap between people who seek to understand each other.”—starred, Foreword Reviews

“Mason-Black’s writing, expressed through Holi’s first-person narration, is original and striking in its depth, putting a thoughtful spotlight on Holi and the people around her. An appealing and engrossing work.”—Booklist