picture book recs (round 9)

Okay, back to a 6-month rhythm! (And back to not reading/loving a lot of picturebooks -- but hey, you get a blurb about each book.)

• Weather Together by Jessie Sima -- not necessarily my favorite of the Kelp and Nimbus books, but a nice story about ~depression and friendship
• The Good Hair Day written by Christian Trimmer & illustrated by J Yang -- a boy who wants long hair but struggles to tell his parents, despite having positive role models
• The Wishing Flower written by A.J. Irving & illustrated by Kip Alizadeh -- a girl with a crush on another girl!
• Big written by & illustrated by Vashti Harrison -- protagonist is a fat Black girl. being Big is praised for kids ("you're such a big kid!") up to a point, and this book powerfully highlights that tension.
• Every Body: A Celebration of Diverse Abilities photography by Shelley Rotner -- really thorough and diverse representation in photographs and text of various disabilities (including learning/intellectual disabilities, as well as physical disabilities) that acknowledges difference directly and matter-of-factly; I have some quibbles with the Glossary, but it's generally good enough
• Timid written & illustrated by Harry Woodgate -- a light-skinned kid (they/them pronouns) named Timmy who loves performing ... until there's an audience. this book is so fun! (though the ending is arguably a bit rushed)
• Hold That Thought! written by Bree Galbraith & illustrated by Lynn Scurfield -- brown-skinned Finn (they/them pronouns) has an idea -- which gets bigger and more colorful as they share it with others
• How Are You, Verity? written by Meghan Wilson Duff & illustrated by Taylor Barron -- an autistic Black kid (they/them pronouns) named Verity who loves sea life and struggles some with social scripts
• I Just Want to Be Super written by Andrew Katz & illustrated by Tony Luzano -- the author wrote about his process: "What did it feel like to be bursting with energy? To want to blast into action, like a superhero raring to use their powers, only to have everyone always telling you to hold back that impulse?"
• [board book] My Hair Is Like the Sun written by St. Clair Detrick-Jules & illustrated by Tabitha Brown -- photographs of Black kids paired with simple illustrations of the natural world
• Big Bad Wolf’s Yom Kippur written by David Sherrin & illustrated by Martín Morón -- even Big Bad Wolves can repent and change!