In the New England Division, Abi Cushman’s Wombats Are Pretty Weird: A [Not So] Serious Guide, was a fun way to learn about bare-nosed and hairy-nosed marsupials from Australia. Who knew that these nocturnal animals have pouches that face backwards because of the way the mother digs? All baby marsupials including wallabies and kangaroos are called joeys. There’s a weird reason why they produce square-shaped poop.

The Walk, by Winsome Bingham, one of the New England Honor books, showed a community’s tradition of walking together to vote on Election Day. The colorful illustrations by E.B. Lewis, paired with the repeated phrase “AND WE WALK ON” as a grandmother and granddaughter gathered friends in their neighborhood, was uplifting. It had a satisfying ending.

In the New York Division, Vashti Harrison’s BIG showed the mixed messages a Black baby girl received about her size. As the girl grew larger than her classmates, she received unhelpful advice and hurtful feedback until one day she faced the shaming and blaming. She stood up for herself and saw that she was good. The soft illustrations were wonderful.

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