New Releases by Jaime Kim

A little hippo finds that looking out for a new friend can turn shyness into bravery in Jaime Kim’s sweetly illustrated story about the first day of school. Mom always calls Robin a big, brave hippo, but on the first day of school she just wants to hide. Even though Mom gives her a pretty purple headband to make her feel confident, as soon as she enters the classroom she retreats to a safe, quiet corner. Before long, Robin spies a young otter named Marco who is wearing purple bracelets and who seems even quieter and more timid than she is. And when Marco falters while trying to say his name aloud to the class, Robin discovers that her voice can be strong when coming to a new friend’s aid. Might Marco do the same if she needed help? In a gentle story threaded with the familiar moments of a first school experience—seen through the eyes of a child for whom they can be more intimidating than most—Jaime Kim captures the warmth of finding a new friend and the ways that connection can make us all more courageous, no matter how shy we feel.

An exuberant and relatable picture book about sibling rivalry, ballet, and finding your free-form self. Confidence goes a long way, and so does practice—but the support of a loving family and community matters even more in this winsome tale of dancing your way into your own unique talents. Tessie has taken ballet for a whole month and thinks she has it down. If it weren’t for her big sister, Maya, who seems to own the spotlight, Tessie would dazzle the whole class. But when Maya lands the lead—and the coveted princess crown—in the fall recital, not even freestyle dancing can fully rescue Tessie’s spirits. But maybe they each have something to teach and the spotlight is big enough for two? Jaime Kim’s author-illustrator debut captures the shifting emotions of competition, sisterhood, and joy in movement with warmth, charm, and a delicious candy-bright palette.