I also have my semi-annual picture book review in the new issue. There are fifteen books reviewed this go-round and include lots of fiction and nonfiction. They include a biography of the female architect who designed Hearst Castle, a bio of the greatest African American jockey to ever live (who also was one of the greatest jockeys, period), a bio of Jesse Owens (because we can never get enough of how awesome he was) and a bio of Barnum Brown, the man who discovered the T-Rex (and that is just so damn awsome I can't stand it.)

There are two historical fiction titles, one about life in a Japanese American detention camp during WWII and another about protesting for affordable housing in California. These both come from Children's Book Press who have impressed the heck out of me recently. They are beautifully written and illustrated books with minority characters and timeless stories. This is a publisher that belongs front and center in every school library.

There are two alphabet books, one for endangered animals that will be a graphic artist's dream come true and one for all things space-related which will get the hearts of retro design lovers beating fast.

There's also a very well done book on birds - how birds fly, what feathers are for, animals that glide (but don't fly), etc. A must for bird watchers and something to think about for home-schoolers on the search for titles that will inspire much time outside.

Fiction-wise, I have a girl who sings the blues, some kids who are into dumpster diving, a lighthouse that is really a ship, jazz-jazz-jazz!, Tim Wynne-Jones's latest about a boy, his new adopted brother and dreams of pirate glory (my son loves this one) and Jack Prelutsky telling the very littlest little ones that who you are is just fine. (Let them believe it while they can - school is looming large.)

Finally, I really tried to resist these two crazy books about a plastic cow that has adventures and gets photographed along the way. But my son LOVED THEM! And since he's the taget audience, may I suggest to one and all that you embrace the foolish fun that is Adventures of Cow and Adventures of Cow, Too. Sometimes, you just have to love what a picture book can do. (Check out Cow on myspace because, well, there's a plastic cow with a myspace page and how do you resist that? ha!)