Youth Books for May 2025

Hear about four book recommendations on art, nature, magical creatures, and the joy of pet adoption, from Carol Roberts, head of youth services at Troy Public Library. “What’s the Point of Art?” (Kay, Fischer, & Atkinson, 2024) explores the history of art from cave paintings through modern day, looking at specific movements & artists, as well as the purposes and contexts for art. The picture book “Night Walk” (Jason Cockcroft, 2024), showing a grandfather and child walking through nature on paths the deceased grandmother loved, could help with conversations of memories as well as nature. “The Bedtime Book of Magical Creatures” (Krensky, 2024) showcases creatures from countries and mythologies around the world. “Jump for Joy” (Ruelle, 2024) is a tandem story of loneliness changed by the pairing of a girl and her adopted dog. While aimed mostly at younger readers, people of all ages can enjoy these picks. For more details, including the illustrators of the fine artwork in each book, see www.thetroylibrary.org. Produced by Brea Barthel for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.