“Whitaker Ponds, Portland, Ore.” Photo by Rawley, use with permission only, please.

Hey, I was thinking about ways to get kids reading. Then I decided I needed to clean house and never got back to it. Then I made a cup of tea, gulped it down and didn’t get back to it. Then I worked on the leaves in the yard (there are a lot) and… you get the idea. I’ll do practically anything to avoid writing, avoid thinking, avoid doing something I don’t wanna do.

It’s a challenge, ya? Ya. How to encourage others to read is a huge challenge. So here I am, listening to old Elton John songs from the ’70s and thinking about music and writing. If you have kids, your own, someone else’s children, students, whoever, model for them. Put on some music and pick up a book, instead of staring, eyes glazed over, at your television, your laptop (that’s me, right now), a tablet, or your little computer you call a phone. Don’t put on YouTube, just please skip the reels and the videos, and read a book. Turn off the news and read to the old folks, read to the young folks, buy books and more books for the babies and toddlers, spread those titles around like they’re sprinkles on ice cream.

I think what I’m actually trying to avoid here is the bigger world, or as we called it in school: Current Events.

Let’s have a great fall and winter, in spite of it all. These are not the easiest times in the world, anywhere on Earth. “Oh, he’s my brother/let us live in peace…” — “Border Song,” Elton John

So peace, love, and Bobby Sherman, and Elton, of course, xo WM

All of the books included in this post were sent to me free for review purposes. Disclaimer here. Thank you for reading and see you next time!

1. Baby Ballena, hello friend! This new picture book swims up courtesy of author Ben Gundersheimer (Mr. G) and illustrator/illustrado por Marcos Almada Rivero. (Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin Random House, 2025, $18.99.) To be a baby gray whale (my favorite of all the whales), born as big as a boat and drinking more than 50 gallons of mama’s milk daily. But the many dangers Juana, our hero, faces traveling north and south and north again with her pod. So many hazards. They go between Mexico and Alaska, dealing with fishing nets, vessels, orcas and other threats. This is a beautiful, educational read-aloud for all ages, really, with text in Spanish and English. The illustrations are precious, and so are my grays. Safe travels, family.

2. You don’t need words to show you love someone is the theme of “My Dog Smudge,” a sweet new picture book from author/illustrator Sujean Rim, and dedicated “to the real-life Smudge.” Aw. (Caitlin Dlouhy Books, 2025, ages 4-8, $18.99.) There are flaps! Flap books are excellent. And a page of chickens for me. Chickens are excellent, too! Fun way to practice “speaking like the animals” with the kids. Enjoy.

3. “Cocodrilos Por Todos Lados/Crocodiles Everywhere” is another great Spanish-English picture book for young readers. Estelí Meza did a beautiful job with the art and words for this one. (Rocky Pond Books/Penguin Random House, 2025, $18.99.) A young girl’s best friend moves away, and we know that sometimes imaginary friends find their way to kids who are struggling. But crocodiles? “The crocodiles arrived so quietly, I didn’t even notice at first.” And that, dear readers, is what we call a “perfect sentence.” Crocodiles as imaginary friends, and the art is perfect, too. Great title for helping kids with grief and problem-solving.

4. Are you a fan of visiting the doctor, the clinic or the hospital? How about your kids? It is not, to be honest, one of my favorite things. But you gotta do what you gotta do, eh? “What Medicine Can Do” is a great how-to picture book from author Gabrielle Balkan and illustrator Alberto Lot. (RISE x Penguin Workshop, 2025, all ages, $19.99.) It explains “symptoms,” “diagnoses,” “vital signs,” “medicine” and all kinds of other terms. Handy book, with kid-friendly descriptions.

5. And now… a great little new board book version of an Eric Carle classic: “The Very Lonely Firefly/La luciérnaga muy solitaria.” “As the sun set a little firefly was born. It stretched its wings and flew off into the darkening sky.” Lovely, happy story and in Spanish and English, both. Perfecto. (Penguin Random House, 2025, ages newborn and up, $11.99.)