book recommendations

Picture Book Recc- Emergency Quarters

Emergency Quarters by Carlos Matias and Gracey Zhang is a really dope new picture book that I read with my daughter recently. Check out this video where I explain a bit about the book!

Link to video

This is a dope story about responsibility, bravery, and trust as this kid is maturing enough that he can walk to school by himself. When he goes his Mama gives him quarters to call her in case of an emergency. On his travels we see his community and all kinds of temptation haha. Matias and Zhang did an incredible job with this one. Hats off to the editor, art director, publisher, and agencies involved

Review it on The Story Graph! Request it at your local library or independent bookstore.

What’s this? Whew, I’ve read over 500 picture books y’all! An author who I admire and respect “Adrianna Cuevas” was sharing her favorite books and it inspired me to share some of mine with you. I’ve read ok books, garbage ones, and some that I think are incredible examples of the picture book format. Here and on the socials I’ll be recommending some of my favs. Please support your community and the creators by requesting them at your library or local independent bookstore. Peace. My name is Robert Liu-Trujillo. I am the author and illustrator of Fresh Juice.

Dig this? Check out these reviews of my book Fresh Juice

March 16, 2025

in General

Laura Briggs – Taking Children

Video link

Just heard Laura on KPFA’s Against the Grain talking about her new book and a life of study relating to US policy, immigration, and terrorism against people of color in the US and abroad. Her new book “Taking Children-A history of American Terror” ties together what Black and Native folks have been saying and a lot of her own research about how the US has used taking children or separating them from their families as a tool of war/terrorism. One of the reasons things like critical race theory and ethnic studies are banned is because they are not just about a diversity of race or painting a we are the world picture, they talk about speaking truth to power and that means examining the United States past and how it directly relates to the present. I’m looking forward to reading this book. Peep game

Dig this? Check out this video by Vox Media about Indigenous boarding schools or this trailer about Indigenous filmmaker Merata Mita

July 13, 2022

in General

At the beginning of last year I decided to take a bit more time away from social media and I’m amazed to say I’ve been able to stick to it. I have one day on social media and one day off. So if I started on Monday, my Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday of that week would be days with no social media at all. And for the days when I was on, I tried to keep the hours of 10am-4pm off limits. Friday-Sunday were days when I would allow myself to check it as many times as I wanted.

But I found that doing this helped my mental health A LOT. And it made me focus more on in real life stuff like making more art and reading. I have read political books before and I tried to read a few history wise this year. But mostly I dug deep into YA or young adult novels. I always read a ton of kids books because I want to learn how to tell stories better. Here are some of my favorites that I read this year. If you’re looking fr more book recommendations, holler at me or check out Bens IG page “Ben Be Reading” and Book Riot who makes read a likes. I love Octavia Butler, so their read a like related to her was dope. I’m still making my way through.