Every month expert booksellers and librarians share their top picks for young readers. Check out what our experts are reading in March!
Into the Goblin Market
Written by Vikki VanSickle
Illustrated by Jensine Eckwall
Tundra Books, 2024
IL: Ages 4-9 RL: Grades 2-3
With a nod to Christina Rosetti's poem, as well as traditional folk and fairytales, VanSickle's lush and beguiling picture book tells the story of two sisters, one who is quiet and a homebody and the other who is reckless and thrill-seeking. When the Goblin Market comes to town, Mina can't resist and sneaks away in the dead of night. Millie awakes to find her sister gone and knowing that she herself must save her. After consulting her beloved books, Millie heads to the market where she must withstand the goblins' wiles and use her wits to rescue Mina.
A magnificent read-aloud, the poetry is rhythmic and sure, flowing nimbly and elegantly. Haunting and atmospheric, it is a celebration of Millie's quiet strength and the heartwarming bond between these two sisters. The stark black-and-white illustrations with occasional bursts of red and exquisitely ornate borders capture the eerie elegance of the tale which is a feast for the eyes and the ears, as well as the heart.
Recommended by Lisa Doucet, Manager, Woozles Children's Bookstore.
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Bog Myrtle
Written and illustrated by Sid Sharp
Annick Press, 2024
IL: Ages 6-11 RL: Grades 1-2
Perpetually positive Beatrice and her permanently grouchy sister Magnolia live in a “hideous, drafty old house on the edge of town” in this folkloric graphic novel. Kind-hearted Beatrice bonds with Bog Myrtle, a gigantic spider-witch, over their shared love of the forest and is gifted some magic silk. Villainous Magnolia spins a greedy get-rich-quick scheme and gets caught in a web of her own making.
The attention to detail in the spooky and kooky illustrations (rendered in “pencil, gouache, watercolour, ink, beet juice and dirt”) is sublime. Sid Sharp’s stellar storytelling offers more twisted twists and gloriously unexpected turns than you can shake a magic stick at.
Recommended by Linda Ludke, Collections Management Librarian, London Public Library