TOO SMALL TOLA by Atinuke, illustrated by Onyinye Iwu

The fantastic Anna Hibiscus series creator Atinuke has come up with another memorable character! Tola lives in a dilapidated apartment building in contemporary urban Nigeria with her elder siblings—a soccer-obsessed brother and a book-smart sister—and her grandma. Tola uses her humor and intellect in three episodic chapters to find solutions to issues that arise in the loving family’s everyday lives.

JOJO MAKOONS (series) by Dawn Quigley, illustrated by Tara Audibert

Jojo is a smart, vibrant heroine who makes a lot of errors, but she’s improving. The narrative voice of JoJo is captivating, and Quigley peppers the book with clever wordplay and subtle comedy. The narrative focuses on JoJo’s interactions with her friend Fern, with whom she is having some issues, and her school experiences. A fantastic new show!

PRINCESS CORA AND THE CROCODILE by Laura Amy Schlitz, illustrated by Brian Floca

Cora the Princess is bored! She has to adhere to many tedious regulations and routines since she is the heir to the kingdom, but what she wants to do is get filthy and go on crazy adventures. She sends a letter to her fairy godmother; consequently, a misbehaving crocodile shows up! This is a fantastic early chapter book for beginning readers since it has plenty of fantastic images, large writing, and comedy!

LOLA LEVINE IS NOT MEAN! (series) by Monica Brown, illustrated by Angela Dominguez

Jewish-Peruvian Lola enjoys playing soccer, but her peers label her as “mean” after she unintentionally wounds another player. Lola utilizes her passion for writing to persuade others that she has a huge heart and that they should too. I like how Lola’s dueling ancestry is incorporated into the story by author Monica Brown.