2023 Star Of The North Nominees

• Begin with a Bee

  by Liza Ketchum, Jacqueline Briggs Martin & Phyllis Root; Illustrated by Claudia McGehee
  A Chicago Public Library’s Best Informational Books for Younger Readers selection
  Begin with a Bee and its story of the life of one queen bee, a rusty-patched bumblebee, teaches us not only about bees but also about our own responsibilities in the natural world

  By looking closely at the life cycle of one bee, Begin with a Bee helps readers of all ages understand and appreciate the contributions and significance of all bees. The life cycle of the rusty-patched bumblebee is a tale of wonder, the adventure of one queen bee who carries an entire colony of bees inside her tiny body. Her story begins in the spring when she emerges from a hole in the ground to search for pollen. She finds a nest, “underground best,” lays a few eggs, and seals them in pollen. All summer this single queen lays more eggs, and more worker bees hatch. They gather pollen and maintain the colony until next year’s queen hatches in the fall.

• The Box Turtle written and illustrated by Vanessa Roeder
  An irresistibly cute story about finding the confidence to be yourself, starring a turtle in search of the perfect shell.
  Terrance the turtle was born without a shell, so he uses a cardboard box instead. Terrance loves his box. It keeps him dry on soggy days, safe from snooping strangers, and is big enough to cozy up with a friend. But when another turtle points out that Terrance's shell is, well, weird, he begins to wonder whether there might be a better shell out there...
  Eventually, and through much trial and error, Terrance learns that there's nothing wrong with being different--especially when it comes to being yourself.

• The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist; illustrated by Darnell Johnson
  Kai is the only member of his family who can't get the dance steps to the Electric Slide right. But Kai is determined to bust a move in this fun and sweet celebration of Black families.
  Kai's aunt is getting married, and everyone in the Donovan family is excited about the wedding ... except Kai. The highlight of every Donovan occasion is dancing the electric slide--a groovy line dance with footwork that Kai can't quite figure out. More than anything, he wants to prove that he can boogie with the rest of his family and earn a cool nickname from his granddad. Can Kai break through his nerves and break it down on the dance floor?
  Told with humor and heart by author Kelly J. Baptist and lively illustrations from debut picture book artist Darnell Johnson, The Electric Slide and Kai is a funky celebration with all the right moves!

• Federico and the Wolf by Rebecca J. Gomez; illustrated by  Elisa Chavarri
  Clever Federico outsmarts el lobo in this fresh and funny Mexican-American take on Little Red Riding Hood.

  With his red hoodie on and his bicycle basket full of food, Federico is ready to visit Abuelo. But on the way, he meets a hungry wolf. And now his grandfather bears a striking resemblance to el lobo...

  Fortunately, Federico is quick and clever—and just happens to be carrying a spicy surprise! Federico drives the wolf away, and he and Abuelo celebrate with a special salsa. Recipe included.

• Jayden's Impossible Garden by Mélina Mangal; illustrated by Ken Daley
  Jayden and a new friend bring nature to the city in this timeless story about a community garden
  Amidst all the buildings, people, and traffic in his neighborhood, Jayden sees nature everywhere: the squirrels scrounging, the cardinals calling, and the dandelions growing. But Mama doesn’t believe there’s nature in the city. So Jayden sets out to help Mama see what he sees. With the help of his friend Mr. Curtis, Jayden plants the seeds of a community garden and brings together his neighbors—and Mama—to show them the magic of nature in the middle of the city.
  Timeless and vibrant, this story highlights the beauty of intergenerational relationships and the power of imagination and perseverance in bringing the vision of a community garden to life. Jayden’s love of nature will inspire readers to see their environment and surroundings as bursting with opportunities for growth and connection. At the back of the book, readers will find activities to make items found in the book, such as the milk jug bird feeder.
  Jayden’s Impossible Garden is the winner of the 2019 African American Voices in Children’s Literature writing contest, cosponsored by Strive Publishing and Free Spirit Publishing, and the recipient of the 2021 Foreword INDIES Honorable Mention, Picture Books, Early Reader (Children's).

• Josie Dances by Denise Lajimodiere; illustrated by Angela Erdrich
  Josie dreams of dancing at next summer's powwow. But first she needs many special things: a dress, a shawl, a cape, leggings, moccasins, and, perhaps most important of all, her spirit name. To gather all these essential pieces, she calls on her mom, her aunty, her kookum, and Grandma Greatwalker. They have the skills to prepare Josie for her powwow debut.
  

• Laxmi's Mooch by Shelly Anand; illustrated by Nabi H. Ali
  A joyful, body-positive picture book about a young Indian American girl's journey to accept her body hair and celebrate her heritage after being teased about her mustache.
  Laxmi never paid much attention to the tiny hairs above her lip. But one day while playing farm animals at recess, her friends point out that her whiskers would make her the perfect cat. She starts to notice body hair all over--on her arms, legs, and even between her eyebrows.
  With her parents' help, Laxmi learns that hair isn't just for heads, but that it grows everywhere, regardless of gender.

• Old Truck by Jarrett Pumphrey; illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey 
  A young girl turns her imagination into action in this beautifully crafted and intricately designed debut picture book.

  When is an old truck something more? On a small, bustling farm, a resilient and steadfast pickup works tirelessly alongside the family that lives there, and becomes a part of the dreams and ambitions of the family’s young daughter.

  After long days and years of hard work leave the old truck rusting in the weeds, it’s time for the girl to roll up her sleeves. Soon she is running her own busy farm, and in the midst of all the repairing and restoring, it may be time to bring her faithful childhood companion back to life.

  With an eye-catching retro design and cleverly nuanced illustrations, The Old Truck celebrates the rewards of determination and the value of imagination.

• The Paper Kingdom by Helena Ku Rhee; illustrated by Pascal Campion
  A Best Book of the Year by NPR, Kirkus, Amazon, Parents Magazine, BookPage & the Los Angeles Public Library.
  A #1 Indie Bestseller & featured on NPR, ABC-TV, Good Morning America & Entertainment Weekly.
  An office at night is reimagined as a fantastical kingdom of paper complete with friendly dragons in this beautiful and heartfelt picture book.
  When the babysitter is unable to come, Daniel is woken out of bed and joins his parents as they head downtown for their jobs as nighttime office cleaners. But the story is about more than brooms, mops, and vacuums. Mama and Papa turn the deserted office building into a magnificent kingdom filled with paper. Then they weave a fantasy of dragons and kings to further engage their reluctant companion--and even encourage him to one day be the king of a paper kingdom.
  The Paper Kingdom expresses the joy and spirit of a loving family who turn a routine and ordinary experience into something much grander. Magical art by Pascal Campion shows both the real world and the fantasy through the eyes of the young narrator. 
  

• What Color is My Hijab? by Hudda Ibrahim; illustrated by Meenal Patel
  What Color is My Hijab? is a children's picture book inspired by a question the author's elementary-school aged niece asked her. The little girl wanted to know why there weren't girls who look like her well represented in children's literature. Now there are. This book features Muslim women who work in a number of professions: doctor, teacher, artist, politician, etc., all wearing their colorful hijabs.