Columbus Children's Book Festival Authors and Illustrators
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Milo Imagines the World
Milo Imagines the World is a warm and richly satisfying story from the award-winning and New York Times bestselling picture book duo, about a little boy with a big imagination who learns that you can't know anyone just by looking at them. Set in a bustling city, and full of a family love that binds even in difficult circumstances.Milo is on a train journey through the city with his older sister, looking at the faces of the other passengers and drawing pictures of their lives. Milo wonders if perhaps the little boy in bright white trainers is living in a castle with a moat and a butler. But when the little boy gets off at the same stop and joins the same queue as him, Milo realises that you can't judge by appearances and that we are all more alike than we are different: both boys are visiting their mothers in prison.Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson once again deliver a hugely powerful and enjoyable picture book, full of rich details both to look at and to talk about. Anyone who has ever travelled on public transport will relate to Milo's journey.
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Mexican WhiteBoy
Newbery Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Matt de la Peña's Mexican WhiteBoy is a story of friendship, acceptance, and the struggle to find your identity in a world of definitions.
Danny is tall and skinny. Even though he’s not built, his arms are long enough to give his pitch a power so fierce any college scout would sign him on the spot. Ninety-five mile an hour fastball, but the boy’s not even on a team. Every time he gets up on the mound, he loses it.
But at his private school, they don’t expect much else from him. Danny is brown. Half-Mexican brown. And growing up in San Diego that close to the border means everyone else knows exactly who he is before he even opens his mouth. Before they find out he can’t speak Spanish, and before they realize his mom has blond hair and blue eyes, they’ve got him pegged. But it works the other way too. And Danny’s convinced it’s his whiteness that sent his father back to Mexico.
That’s why he’s spending the summer with his dad’s family. But to find himself, he may just have to face the demons he refuses to see--the demons that are right in front of his face. And open up to a friendship he never saw coming.
Matt de la Peña's critically acclaimed novel is an intimate and moving story that offers hope to those who least expect it.
"[A] first-rate exploration of self-identity." --SLJ
"Unique in its gritty realism and honest portrayal of the complexities of life for inner-city teens...de la Peña poignantly conveys the message that, despite obstacles, you must believe in yourself and shape your own future." --The Horn Book Magazine
"The baseball scenes...sizzle like Danny's fastball. Danny's struggle to find his place will speak strongly to all teens, but especially to those of mixed race." --Booklist
"De la Peña blends sports and street together in a satisfying search for personal identity." --Kirkus Reviews
"Mexican WhiteBoy...shows that no matter what obstacles you face, you can still reach your dreams with a positive attitude. This is more than a book about a baseball player--this is a book about life." --Curtis Granderson, New York Mets outfielder
An ALA-YALSA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults
A Junior Library Guild Selection -
Love
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER"[A] poetic reckoning of the importance of love in a child's life . . . eloquent and moving."—People
"Everything that can be called love -- from shared joy to comfort in the darkness -- is gathered in the pages of this reassuring, refreshingly honest picture book."—The New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice / Staff Picks From the Book Review
“Lyrical and sensitive, ‘Love’ is the sort of book likely to leave readers of all ages a little tremulous, and brimming with feeling.”—The Wall Street Journal
From Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long comes a story about the strongest bond there is and the diverse and powerful ways it connects us all.
"In the beginning there is light
and two wide-eyed figures standing near the foot of your bed
and the sound of their voices is love.
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A cab driver plays love softly on his radio
while you bounce in back with the bumps of the city
and everything smells new, and it smells like life."
In this heartfelt celebration of love, Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long depict the many ways we experience this universal bond, which carries us from the day we are born throughout the years of our childhood and beyond. With a lyrical text that's soothing and inspiring, this tender tale is a needed comfort and a new classic that will resonate with readers of every age. -
Last Stop on Market Street
"Sometimes when you're surrounded by dirt, CJ, you're a better witness for what's beautiful."
CJ begins his weekly bus journey around the city with disappointment and dissatisfaction, wondering why he and his family can't drive a car like his friends. Through energy and encouragement, CJ's nana helps him see the beauty and fun in their routine.
This beautifully illustrated, emotive picture book explores urban life with honesty, interest and gratitude.
Last Stop on Market Street has won multiple awards and spent time at the number one spot in the New York Times Bestseller List. -
Biscuit: 5-Minute Biscuit Stories
Biscuit, everyone’s favorite sweet puppy, loves adventures. Whether he’s meeting the class pet, Nibbles, visiting the farm, or reading his favorite stories at the library, there is always loads of fun in store for Biscuit and his friends.
These twelve beloved stories can be read in five minutes—making them a great addition to your story-time tradition. A perfect read-aloud, complete with a sturdy, padded cover and over 190 pages of full-color illustrations, this collection is a treasure to be read again and again at bedtime, storytime, or anytime!
The collection includes lightly adapted versions of 12 classic stories:
- Meet Biscuit!
- Biscuit Meets the Class Pet
- Biscuit's First Trip
- Biscuit in the Garden
- Biscuit Takes a Walk
- Biscuit's Big Friend
- Biscuit and the Baby
- Biscuit's Day at the Farm
- Biscuit Plays Ball
- Biscuit Loves the Library
- Biscuit's First Sleepover
- Biscuit's First Beach Day
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Emmett and the Bright Blue Cape
Meet Emmett, Katy Duck’s little brother! In this Level 1 Ready-to-Read, Emmett puts on his bright blue cape and becomes Super Emmett!
Emmett loves his bright blue cape. He wears it to the park, he wears it to the store, and he even tries to wear it to bed. With his cape on, he isn’t just Emmett, he’s Super Emmett! So what happens when Emmett’s bright blue cape goes missing? How will he be super now? -
The Library Fish
In this sweet and adventurous picture book, an unusually literary fish leaves the safety of her bowl to explore her library home for the first time.
When Mr. Hughes finds a fish all alone in the library and names her Library Fish, she knows she’s found her true home. Library Fish makes friends in the library and on the bookmobile, checks that books are returned, and absolutely loves story time, when she can listen to all kinds of stories and poems, meet unforgettable characters, and travel around the world and even to other planets!
But one day, everything outside is covered in snow and no one comes to the library. Will Library Fish be brave enough to venture outside her fishbowl for the very first time and explore the library she calls home? -
Biscuit and Friends: a Day at the Aquarium
Follow the beloved and bestselling little yellow puppy, Biscuit, on a trip to the aquarium. This Level One I Can Read allows readers to grow into reading with Biscuit!
When Biscuit takes himself to the aquarium, he sees fish of all different colors, sea turtles, large tanks of jellyfish, and even sea lions that bark just like him. Bark! Bark! Woof, woof!
Biscuit and Friends: A Day at the Aquarium is a Level One I Can Read with a Guided Reading Level (GRL) of J, which means it's perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences. Whether shared at home or in a classroom, the short sentences, familiar words, and simple concepts of Level One books support success for children eager to start reading on their own.
For over 25 years Biscuit, the beloved little yellow puppy, has warmed the hearts of young readers. The sweet little yellow puppy is a comforting partner for your emerging reader who enjoys the My First level Biscuit stories and wants to keep reading!
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Sulwe
A New York Times bestseller!
Featured in its own episode in the Netflix original show Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices!
Recipient of a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award
Recipient of an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Children’s Literary Work
From Academy Award–winning actress Lupita Nyong’o comes a powerful, moving picture book about colorism, self-esteem, and learning that true beauty comes from within.
Sulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Then a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything.
In this stunning debut picture book, actress Lupita Nyong’o creates a whimsical and heartwarming story to inspire children to see their own unique beauty. -
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
A NEW YORK TIMES INSTANT BESTSELLER!A USA TODAY BESTSELLER!
This beautifully illustrated New York Times bestseller introduces readers of all ages to 40 women who changed the world.
An important book for all ages, Little Leaders educates and inspires as it relates true stories of forty trailblazing black women in American history. Illuminating text paired with irresistible illustrations bring to life both iconic and lesser-known female figures of Black history such as abolitionist Sojourner Truth, pilot Bessie Coleman, chemist Alice Ball, politician Shirley Chisholm, mathematician Katherine Johnson, poet Maya Angelou, and filmmaker Julie Dash.
Among these biographies, readers will find heroes, role models, and everyday women who did extraordinary things - bold women whose actions and beliefs contributed to making the world better for generations of girls and women to come. Whether they were putting pen to paper, soaring through the air or speaking up for the rights of others, the women profiled in these pages were all taking a stand against a world that didn't always accept them.
The leaders in this book may be little, but they all did something big and amazing, inspiring generations to come.
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Hair Love
A New York Times Bestseller and tie-in to Academy-Award Winning Short Film "Hair Love"
"I love that Hair Love is highlighting the relationship between a Black father and daughter. Matthew leads the ranks of new creatives who are telling unique stories of the Black experience. We need this."
- Jordan Peele, Actor & Filmmaker
It's up to Daddy to give his daughter an extra-special hair style in this ode to self-confidence and the love between fathers and daughters, from Academy-Award winning director and former NFL wide receiver Matthew A. Cherry and New York Times bestselling illustrator Vashti Harrison.
Zuri's hair has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Zuri knows it's beautiful. When Daddy steps in to style it for an extra special occasion, he has a lot to learn. But he LOVES his Zuri, and he'll do anything to make her -- and her hair -- happy.
Tender and empowering, Hair Love is an ode to loving your natural hair -- and a celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere. A perfect gift for special occasions including Father’s Day, birthdays, baby showers, and more! -
Big
Winner of the Caldecott Medal! A Coretta Scott King Award Author and Illustrator Honor book, a National Book Award finalist, and a New York Times bestseller! This deeply moving story shares valuable lessons about fitting in, standing out, and the beauty of joyful acceptance, from an award-winning creator.
The first picture book written and illustrated by award-winning creator Vashti Harrison traces a child's journey to self-love and shows the power of words to both hurt and heal. With spare text and exquisite illustrations, this emotional exploration of being big in a world that prizes small is a tender portrayal of how you can stand out and feel invisible at the same time.
New DVDs
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Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan - The Final Season
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The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die
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Cut, Color, Murder
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Doom Patrol: The Complete Fourth Season
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Lisa Frankenstein
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Night Swim
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Inside Man: Year One
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Wednesday: Season One
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Saint Omer
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Good Burger 2
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Ancient Empires
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Freud's Last Session
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The Book of Clarence
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Iron Claw
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Nikki & Nora: Sister Sleuths