Carry Somer’s fascinating book "The Nature of Fashion" is about how humans have used plants to make textiles across time. About the profound impact of textiles on the planet and on human society, the book begins by considering the... Read More

A detective in Norway investigates a murder case in Sharon White’s atmospheric novel "If the Owl Calls". In 1979, Hans, an Oslo detective, grieves his wife’s recent death. He is assigned a case in the remote north, home of the... Read More

"Patchwork" is Kate Evans’s fascinating graphic biography of Jane Austen. Despite the magnitude of her legacy, the book notes, historical records related to Jane Austen’s life are sparse. Using Austen’s own words from novels,... Read More

A girl encounters an expanding empire in Evan Dahm’s epic graphic novel "Vattu". Vattu is a rare child in her nomadic tribe, known by outsiders as the Fluters. When representatives of a neighboring empire visit, they present the... Read More

A girl’s ingenuity saves the day in this sweet holiday picture book about bringing new life to old traditions. At the start of Hanukkah, the girl and her family are far away—and her fathers forgot the menorah. The first night, she... Read More

An admirable police chief does his best to defend vulnerable migrants in the timely mystery novel "The Nameless Dead". On a Greek island, a police inspector works to solve the murders of Syrian women at a refugee camp in Leta Serafim’s... Read More

This joyful board book draws comparisons between animal behaviors and childhood play, imparting subtle lessons about interspecies empathy along the way. Across the bright, upbeat two-page spreads, striking similarities are noted: a... Read More

Its illustrations reminiscent of children’s film classics, with lovely touches of winter starshine and frost, this cheery Swedish picture book follows a woodcarver as she lovingly crafts a Christmas gift for her granddaughter: a red... Read More