July 27th | 11am CST

Butt or Face? | We Move the World | Ode to Grapefruit | Kari Lavelle

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ABOUT THE BOOKS

BUTT OR FACE? | BUY

Butt or Face offers kids a delightfully cheeky challenge: examine a close-up photo of an animal, and then guess whether you’re looking at the top or the…um…bottom. The answer is revealed on the next page with a compete photo of the animal! Also included are factual animal details along with how these animals use camouflage or other trickery to engage with their home. Readers will discover animals like the Cuyaba dwarf frog whose backside looks like a pair of eyes, the Mary River turtle that breathes through its butt, and many more!

BUTT OR FACE? REVENGE OF THE BUTTS | BUY

Butt or Face? Volume 2 continues the delightfully cheeky challenge with a whole new set of animals from all over the world. Examine a close-up photo of an animal and then guess whether you’re looking at the top or the…um…bottom. The answer is revealed on the next page with a compete photo of the animal! Also included are factual animal details along with how these animals use camouflage or other trickery to engage with their home. Readers will discover animals like the alien butt spider who turns leaves into burrito-like hideaways, the leaf-tailed gecko whose body mimics the leaves and bark of a tree, and many more!

WE MOVE THE WORLD | BUY

An inspiring and empowering picture book about the small things kids do that have the potential to change the world!

Meet some of the world’s most beloved movers, shakers, scientists, activists, dreamers, and doers from the past and present who model what every childhood first can lead to! Neil Armstrong, Misty Copeland, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and more were once kids—they grew up to lead us to the moon, dance in the ballet, and break barriers.

From first steps to solving puzzles and learning the alphabet, all the small things are only the beginning: they can lead to future activism and innovation that just might change the world!

Featuring fresh and accessible text paired with vibrant illustrations, We Move the World gives young readers a chance to see how much is possible just because of the things they already do. Includes robust backmatter that gives further context on each figure and historical moment, including the most recent COVID-19 pandemic.

ODE TO GRAPEFRUIT: HOW JAMES EARL JONES FOUND HIS VOICE | BUY

Before legendary actor James Earl Jones was recognized for his memorable, smooth voice, he was just James–a stutterer who stopped speaking for eight years as a child…and ultimately found his voice through poetry.

Before there was Mufasa…Before there was Darth Vader… There was a young boy names James Earl Jones, who spoke with a stutter and dreaded having to talk in class.

Whenever James tried to voice his thoughts, his words got stuck in his throat. But James figured out a solution for his shame: if he didn’t speak, he wouldn’t stutter.

And so he was silent…until he wrote his own poem, Ode to Grapefruit, and found a love for poetry.

Lyrical text, stunning art, and compelling backmatter about stuttering pair together for a remarkable picture book about how a boy who refused to speak for eight years learned to manage his stutter through poetry–and grew up to become an EGOT-winning performer with a voice few could forget.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kari Lavelle is the award-winning author of WE MOVE THE WORLD, illustrated by Nabi H. Ali (HarperCollins), the BUTT OR FACE series (Sourcebooks), and the upcoming ODE TO GRAPEFRUIT: HOW JAMES EARL JONES FOUND HIS VOICE, illustrated by the award-winning Bryan Collier (Knopf). Kari has always had a love for words: as a kid reading books, as a speech pathologist helping children communicate, and now as a writer creating stories for younger readers. WE MOVE THE WORLD was honored with the Writers’ League of Texas Best Picture Book award in 2022. The first of the BUTT OR FACE? series has received multiple honors awards including the ALA Notable Children’s Book, 2023 Nerdies Nonfiction Books, 2023 Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Awards Silver Honor Book and is on eight state lists including the Texas 2×2 and the Texas Topaz Nonfiction. Kari grew up in the Midwest but now lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, kids, and doggo, Dobby. She is represented by Elizabeth Bennett (also the name of one of her favorite literary characters) at Transatlantic Literary Agency. Learn more about Kari and her books at karilavelle.com.