I Like the Weather Series

Sarah Nelson | Rachel Oldfield | Barefoot Books

Reviews | I Like the Weather Series

“This brightly illustrated picture book celebrates the joy that children take in snow, appreciating the sight of snowflakes, the sound of snow crunching underfoot, and the feel of snowflakes’ “icy kisses” on their noses…” —Booklist

“Children can expand on the ideas in this slight celebration of weather; strong backmatter will answer their questions.” —Kirkus

“You can almost hear the rush and gush of water as you read I Like the Rain. This is a wonderful picture book for reading aloud because of its lyrical rhyme and rhythm, which lends it a hypnotic and quietening quality, just like the sound of the rain itself…” —BookTrust

“An editor once told me that children pick up a book because of the illustrations, but fall in love with it because of the words. And these words, rhythmic and lilting, using familiar words in a fresh way with true rhyme and slant rhyme together, are fun to read and evoke the child’s own experience.” —Lynne Jonell (The Sign of the Cat)

Frogness

Sarah Nelson | Eugenie Fernandes | Owlkids Books

Reviews | Frogness

“Imaginative, delightful, and very froggy.” —Kirkus

“Minnesota writer Sarah Nelson tells a cheerful story about the lure of the wild. Eugenie Fernandes’ ebullient illustrations are, like the child and dog, bright, messy, and happy.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Frogness will make kids laugh before they even open the book…” —St. Paul Pioneer Press

“This is a celebration of childhood nature exploring…” —Youth Services Book Review

Florida Literacy Association Children’s Book Award Finalist (2022-2023)

A Park Connects Us

Sarah Nelson | Ellen Rooney | Owlkids Books

Reviews | A Park Connects Us

“Like Charlotte Zolotow’s wonderful The Park Book, this book showcases the inclusivity of parks in loving detail; a good choice for story time, one-on-one, or classroom projects.”—School Library Journal

“The park invites people of every size, age, ethnicity, gender, and ability to share in its boundless offerings. Lyrical text and illustrations with animated bursts of color.” —Bank Street College of Education (A Best Book of 2022)

“A must-have to add to the top of your picture book selections this year. Parks are for everyone, and so is this book.“—Canadian Review of Materials

“[The] message is thoughtfully and beautifully delivered in this new picture book.”—Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database

“With bold, colorful illustrations , [A Park Connects Us] celebrates, in rhyming text, all the things we do in parks.”—St. Paul Pioneer Press

“Nelson’s lyrical text makes this book well-suited for reading aloud, while Rooney’s colorful double-page spreads are full of details that engage readers … A Park Connects Us emphasizes that public parks should be for everyone.”— Quill & Quire

Florida Literacy Association Children’s Book Award Finalist (2023-2024)

Follow the Flyway

Sarah Nelson | Maya Hanisch | Barefoot Books

Reviews | Follow the Flyway

★ “An impressive use of rhythm, rhyme, onomatopoeia, and word imagery endows this science-based book with a strong literary component . . . Recommended as a lyrical read-aloud and an informational text” —School Library Journal, starred review

“Rhyming, lyrical text. Soft, mixed-media illustrations. Extensive back matter.”—Bank Street College of Education (A Best Book of 2023)

“A charming beginning look at North American migration flyways” —Kirkus Reviews

“In this blow-by-blow accounting of seasonal migration, uplifting lines track a dozen avian species along a ‘blue and ancient flyway’” —Publishers Weekly

“A variety of bird species are featured in appealing two-page visuals with energetically presented facts nestled among the illustrations”—SLJ “A Birdy Booklist”

“Sarah Nelson’s lyrical prose is matched by Maya Hanisch’s stylized paintings to show how species across habitats raise young until they feel the pulls of zugunruhe to head south.” —American Birding Association

“This beautifully illustrated book, with poetic text by a St. Paul author, follows ducks, geese, herons, giant-winged pelicans, egrets, sandpipers, swans, loons and snipes as their babies begin their first migration down the majestic flyway” —St. Paul Pioneer Press

A Best Nonfiction Book of 2023 for Kids —Imagination Soup

Poetic verse and artful illustrations teach children about migration. —Youth Services Book Review

A Children’s Book Council “Hot Off the Press” Selection, August 2023

Firefly Galaxy

Sarah Nelson | Estrellita Caracol | Barefoot Books

Reviews | Firefly Galaxy

A Children’s Book Council “Hot Off the Press” Selection, April 2024

A 2025 Midland Authors Award Semifinalist

★ “Well-crafted ­collage art complements lyrical text to create a ­luminous read-aloud.”—School Library Journal (Starred Review)

“Glowing illustrations enliven this tale of nature’s delights” —Kirkus Reviews

“Nelson’s lilting prose captures the magic of a summer evening. Caracol’s colorful paper collage illustrations capture the deep dusky blues of night, the star-like sparkle of the glowing bugs.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Charming and poetic…” —St. Paul Pioneer Press

Reviews | Birth of the Bicycle

Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, 2024

“A beautifully written and illustrated work that is well grounded in history.”—David V. Herlihy, historian and author of Bicycle: The History

“The bouncy narrative is rich in specific references to inventors and early mechanisms. In vividly evocative galleries, races, and crowded street scenes, Bruno provides precisely detailed images of huge-wheeled penny farthings and other antique models. . . Wheels out a chapter in the history of technology that merits greater recognition.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A great introduction not only to bicycle history, but to history books in general for kids 6-9, because Nelson makes it fun.”—Minnesota Star Tribune 

“Nelson recounts the history of the bicycle, beginning with the 1817 invention of the velocipede, an entirely wooden contraption with no pedals or brakes. . . . Bruno’s digitally enhanced pencil illustrations make use of bold, bright colors; attention to fine details (particularly in his depictions of period costumes and the early two-wheelers); and scenes that convey both motion and emotion.”—Booklist

“Polished illustrations by Italian artist Bruno draw immediate attention in this bicycle history. . . . The book, like the bicycle, moves briskly along, tracing a path from luxury item to mode of transportation for the masses.”—Publishers Weekly

“This lively book begins with wooden velocipedes of the 1800s and concludes with the sleek machines that today have their own dedicated lanes in some cities, including St. Paul and Minneapolis. The author traces the bike’s journey from a luxury for the wealthy to a necessity for the working class. Illustrations are wonderful…”—St. Paul Pioneer Press

“This is a fascinating nonfiction picture book about the history of bicycles. Velocipedes struggle in muddy 19th century streets and brakeless inventions make hills a disaster. Bike innovations move from toys for the wealthy to essentials for the working class. Nelson’s simple, poetic lines somehow pack so much information into them, and Bruno’s detailed illustrations are nostalgic and gorgeous.”—Book Riot

“Birth of the Bicycle is an uplifting celebration of the history of the bicycle, from its early pedal-less wooden version to the racing machines of today. It covers a century of the bicycle’s development as well as its evolution from a luxury for the wealthy to a lifeline for the working class. This book is incredibly unique, making it entertaining for both young readers and adults.”—The Contented Reader

“Told in charming rhyme, Birth of the Bicycle chronicles the bike’s evolution from sensational oddity to the everyday vehicle known today… The illustrations clearly show the changes in design, without getting bogged down in technical information, and the rhymes are catchy and fun, and certainly helpful for remembering facts. For those wanting a meatier history, there are a few pages detailing the entire historical timeline at the back. This is a story to read again and again, and learn something every time.”—YA & Kids Books Central