Hélène Valotteau

Jan 13, 2025 | hbook.com | Charly Palmer |Nikki Giovanni |Viviane Ezratty |Hélène Valotteau

This piece depicts and is dedicated to Darryl George, a young man in Texas who was given in-school suspension for the 2023–24 school year because of the way he wore his hair. All but one of his claims of discrimination were denied by a U.S. District Court judge, but his family continues to pursue justice in court. For me, this artwork is about something deeper than the case — it’s about DNA, identity, and how we define ourselves.

Dec 6, 2024 | hbook.com | Viviane Ezratty |Hélène Valotteau |Meg Medina

Original cover art and artist’s statement by Charly Palmer. Horn Book Fanfare: Our choices for the best books of 2024. Coverage of the 2024 Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards celebration (once again in person, and including rare Special Citation!): judges’ remarks, speeches, photos. A conversation between Jonda C. McNair and Dianne Johnson-Feelings about why The Brownies’ Book is still relevant at 100 years old.

Dec 2, 2024 | hbook.com | Viviane Ezratty |Hélène Valotteau |Meg Medina

We started our centennial year of mini-themed issues with picture books in the January/February issue, and now end, fittingly, with YA in November/December. It seemed like a natural progression — from “the early years,” as we were calling it, to young adult, with stops at poetry and folklore; nonfiction and Horn Book history; awards; and middle grade.

Nov 19, 2024 | hbook.com | Viviane Ezratty |Hélène Valotteau |Meg Medina

We wish you a loaded bookshelfwith snowflake, with dreidel, with elffor gift-giving, or your own self. Some ideas are right here. Here’s our annual list of recommended new and reissued picture books of seasonal and holiday interest. Season’s greetings from the Horn Book staff!Uri and the King of Darkness: A Hanukkah Storyby Nati Bait; illus. by Carmel Ben Ami; trans. from Hebrew by Ilana KurshanPrimary    Kalaniot/Endless Mountains    32 pp.

Nov 18, 2024 | hbook.com | Meg Medina |Viviane Ezratty |Hélène Valotteau

Above and left: 1927 posters created for the library by illustrator Pierre Belvès when he was sixteen. Images courtesy of Fonds patrimonial L'Heure Joyeuse, Médiathèque Françoise Sagan. L’Heure Joyeuse was the first library in France devoted especially to children. It opened in the Latin Quarter of Paris in 1924, after the First World War, thanks to an American gift to the city. Heure Joyeuse translates literally as “Happy Hour,” which seems like an odd name for a children’s library.