(Photo by Rawley/use with permission only, please)

• “The Boy Who Said Wow” (Written by the talented Todd Boss, with sweet art by Rashin Kheiriyeh; Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster; scheduled for April, 2024 release; $18.99) is on the top of this week’s stack of new picture books. Spring = lots of new book releases, and for this and other reasons (daffodils, cherry blossoms, fresh vegetables, more sunshine), I do love spring. No spoilers, but about this book? Mozart is magical and Ronan and his grandfather are, too.
• We have three new board books today, here we go… Speaking of magic, la luna is the star of “When Moon Blooms,” a cool new bilingual book that draws on Indigenous wisdom from Mexico. Aida Salazar provides the story; Caribay M. Benavides provides the art, which is vibrant and colorful. This is the first read in the My Living World series. (Rise x Penguin Workshop, 2024, ages newborn-5, $8.99.)
• “It’s Your Time to Shine,” by Dianne White, with art by Nanette Regan, is a helpful and positive guide to life’s little challenges. (Little Simon/Simon & Schuster, 2024, ages newborn-5, $8.99.)
• Hannah Eliot (author) and Airin O’Callaghan (illustrator) have done a nice job with “The Mommies on the Bus,” a new variation on the song “The Wheels on the Bus,” of course. Whether it’s encouraging the littles to “please sit down, please sit down, please sit down,” providing snacks, or finding the right stop, mommies are there for the babies and kids. (Little Simon/Simon & Schuster, 2024, ages newborn-5, $7.99.)
• “My Name is Long as a River,” by Suma Subramaniam, with illustrations by Tara Anand, is another gorgeous and insightful picture book about a young girl and her family, who live in South India. (Penguin Workshop/Penguin Random House; scheduled for May, 2024 release; all ages; $19.99.) Introducing Kaveri Thanjavur Jayalakshmi Ganesan (who prefers to be called Kav), with her smart, beautiful self, and her beautiful long name. (Thirty-three letters and you’re welcome to double-check my math. Great name.) Her Paati named her for her great-great-grandmother, and the Kaveri River. That’s what they will travel across for the Pushkaram festival, a celebration that honors the river. This is such a thoughtful book, I enjoyed it and know that your family will, too. The bonus pages in the back are great, and add details about names, vocabulary, and some geography, too.

Thank you, friends, and see you next time.

WM