Welcome, Uncle Nowruz!: A Persian New Year’s Story by Rashin Kheiriyeh (NorthSouth Books). “Then came the most exciting part of the Nowruz preparations: setting up the Haft-Seen table with symbols of the season. Nane Sarma and the children headed to the bustling market, which was filled with the scents of spices and fresh vegetables.” It’s so much fun getting ready for the Persian New Year, but Nane Sarma always sleeps through Uncle Nowruz’s visit! Will this be the year her grandkids manage to keep her awake?

Jayden Noticed by Carolyn Crimi (author) and Shamar Knight-Justice (illustrator) (Candlewick). “Jayden was a noticer. He noticed the way the moon looked different every night as it peeked through the branches of his favorite oak tree. He noticed web wheels and egg freckles. Tree knuckles and frog songs. Mouse paws and rose petals. But mostly he noticed rocks.” The sensitive youngster also notices that his new house is strange and different, and it worries him. Until he discovers the little boy next door is a noticer, too…

Celebrate We Gullah Geechee by Yvette R Murray (author) and Tonya Engel (illustrator) (Free Spirit Publishing). “Let’s go! Now come with me. Play with me. I’ll show you, show you what I see…Haint blue door at Grandma’s house. Rocking chairs waiting on the porch. Family pictures and awards live inside, and vases full of Palmetto roses.” The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida comes vibrantly alive in this celebration of the formerly enslaved people who proudly preserved their language and way of life.