Charlie Mouse Cleans House by Katerina Gorelik - ESSENTIAL

Charlie Mouse Cleans House by Katerina Gorelik. PICTURE BOOK. Red Comet Press, 2025. $20. 9781636551418

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Charley Mouse keeps her house clean and immaculate at all times. She also cleans houses in the Wild Wood and the Magical Forest for other creatures. Monday through Wednesday she cleans for Moles, Frog, Fox, and Wolf. Thursday through Friday she cleans for the Witch, Unicorn, Gingerbread House, and Dragon. At each house, she is asked to collect some items that have been misplaced. She returns to her tidy house to rest before starting another work week.

If this book is an example of Katerina Gorelik's work, all her books would be best sellers! The highly detailed, adorable illustrations could keep one busy for a long time. Not only that, but the neighborhood she has created with maps and storyline are just as adorable. Each page makes the reader smile. 

MOMMAC

Snarky Sharky by Bethan Clarke and Nikolas Ilic - OPTIONAL

Snarky Sharky by Bethan Clarke, illustrated by Nikolas Ilic. PICTURE BOOK. Tiger Tales, 2025. $19. 9781664300644

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: FEW

Snarky Sharky is the biggest thing on his reef. But he is a bit tired of all of the attention, of the dull surroundings, and of the sea creatures who are constantly admiring him. But when he ventures off the reef for the first time, a surprise awaits him.

The story dragged with all of Sharky’s lines being sarcastic and a bit annoying - while I liked the surprise awaiting him, it was a one pager and the whole thing just didn’t feel finished.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Volcano Atlas by Tom Jackson and Maggie Li, - ESSENTIAL

Volcano Atlas by Tom Jackson and Maggie Li, 61 pages. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Words and Pictures (Quarto), 2024. $17. 9780711283794

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

What is a volcano?  Come along with Jackson and Li as they dive into the basics of a volcano and then tour 23 volcanic sites around the world with more detailed information.

I love this highly illustrated non-fiction book.  Each page is full of fascinating tidbits in a highly digestible fashion. I would love to buy extra copies of the book and divide the pages up for a class to investigate each site further. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

 

We're Different and It's Totally Cool! written and illustrated by Camey Yeh - ADVISABLE

We're Different and It's Totally Cool! written and illustrated by Camey Yeh. PICTURE BOOK. Random House Children's Books (Penguin Random House), 2025. $19. 9780593899847

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

A simple story to illustrate how we are all different (but with a lot of similarities) and how that is something worth celebrating.  

I liked the overall message of the book, and the illustrations were cute and quirky, but it didn't have enough uniqueness to make it one that I would recommend everyone to read or add to their library right away. 

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

The Laughing Book by Kael Tudor and Daniel Wiseman - ESSENTIAL

The Laughing Book by Kael Tudor and Daniel Wiseman. PICTURE BOOK. Happy Yak (Quarto), 2025. $19. 9781836000143

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Explore the many ways and reasons why we laugh.

Wiseman’s illustrations are a joyous way to talk about all things laugh related.  From what a laugh sounds like, to good and bad reasons and situations that make us laugh, I had such a  good time enjoying Tudor’s work. It will a lot of fun to share out loud - there are pages that are guaranteed to make your audience LOL or ROFL!

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

A Scrub in the Tub by Jan Thomas - ESSENTIAL

A Scrub in the Tub by Jan Thomas. PICTURE BOOK. Beach Lane (Simon), 2025. $18. 9781665972963

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Rabbit and Weasel are trying to convince Pig that he needs to take a bath, but Pig is not interested.

Thomas has another silly, short book for us. Her whole cast of characters is so much fun to follow. There are at least a dozen books now. And this one would be great for a small one who doesn’t want to take a bath.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Fanny’s Big Idea: how Jewish Book Week was born by Richard Michaelson, illustrated by Alyssa Russell - OPTIONAL

Fanny’s Big Idea: how Jewish Book Week was born by Richard Michaelson, illustrated by Alyssa Russell. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Rocky Pond (Penguin), 2025. $19. 9798217003259

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Fanny and her family left their home in Russia when the tsar started burning their villages and homes. In New York she found a place where she could learn and grow, even if she was being urged to learn housekeeping and get married. Throughout her life she encouraged others to learn about their own origins and to learn about others - “The more you learn about someone’s life, the harder it is not to like them.” When she eventually became the director of a Boston public library branch, she created a week of celebration around Hanukkah to help the new American Jews learn their background and to open Jewish traditions and cultures to other ethnic groups.

The title of the book is misleading - while it does lead to the beginning of Jewish Week, it is more Fanny’s story even though we don’t learn her last name until the last page of the book. It is a story of immigration and persecution and finding your own path in the world - which happens to lead to the formation of Jewish Book Week. Lovely illustrations for a quiet story. It could lead to a discussion of “Week” celebrations of various kinds.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Don’t Waste the Poop! by Marilyn Sanger, pictures by Heather Fox - ESSENTIAL

Don’t Waste the Poop! by Marilyn Sanger and Heather Fox. NON-FICTION EARLY READER Level 2. Simon, 2025. $19. 9781665971997

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Sanger and Fox have given us a humorous, but fact-filled look at different animals that use poop for a variety of reasons. While it made me a little queasy, I know that young readers, especially boys, love learning about and talking about poop.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Bittersweet by Christy Mandin - ESSENTIAL

Bittersweet by Christy Mandin. PICTURE BOOK. McElderry (Simon), 2025. $20. 9781665960588

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Hilda is a little girl, still starving in Berlin after the end of WWII.  A kind American pilot sees Berlin’s children and first shares the gum from his pocket with them and then drops more candy from his plane when he returns.  As word spreads, first through the armed forces and then to America, where his two sticks of gum turned into 23 tons of candy for the children.

I have always thought Gail Halvorsen’s story is a great tribute to the power of kindness, which is also emphasized in the back matter.  I am glad Mandin turned it into a picture book. Her illustrative style is just the right amount of nostalgia. Also, Gail Halvorsen was born and lived his life in Utah - so home town hero.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Little Snail Goes House Hunting by Bia Melo - ADVISABLE

Little Snail Goes House Hunting by Bia Melo. PICTURE BOOK. Happy Yak (Quarto), 2025. $19. 9780711292338

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Little Snail is feeling a little bored with the same-old-same-old environment, so she heads out to try out different types of housing environments, traveling all over the world. When she visits the sea slugs, there she finds the inspiration she needs to create the home to reflect her personality.

Melo’s illustrations are colorful and inspiring - so much fun to gaze at. And I really liked how Snail realized it wasn’t the physical environment that mattered the most, but how she felt about herself.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Mr. Willowby’s Head Over Heels Christmas by Robert Barry - ADVISABLE

Mr. Willowby’s Head Over Heels Christmas by Robert Barry. PICTURE BOOK.Doubleday (Random House), 2025. $19. 9780593708194

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Mr. Willowby’s Christmas tree has not arrived and it is Christmas Eve.  Bear sees Willowby’s plight and decides to remedy it. After Bear cuts down a tree, however, he has to deliver it.  So he decides to ride it down the mountain.  Along the way Bear “picks up” more passengers along the way.

Mr. Willowby’s second book is published posthumously by Barry’s son. If you’ve read the first book, this action is like the opposite - the tree gains more riders as it goes. While it didn’t hit me as forcefully as the original, it still is a sweet Christmas story.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Elmore and the Big Christmas Rescue by Dev Petty, illustrated by Mike Boldt - ADVISABLE

Elmore and the Big Christmas Rescue by Dev Petty and Mike Boldt. PICTURE BOOK. Doubleday (Random House), 2025. $19. 9780593518052

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Elmore the Moose is back!  This time Santa has a cold and he has put Elmore in charge of getting the reindeer fit, the elves fed, and the toys all made for the big night. Here’s to an Elmore kind of Christmas! 

You might remember Elmore from his first stint as one of Santa’s reindeer. He gives us a bangup job as Santa himself this time around.  I like his heart-felt letters asking Santa for guidance. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS