If I Built a Town by Chris Van Dusen - ADVISABLE

If I Built a Town by Chris Van Dusen. PICTURE BOOK. Rocky Pond (Penguin), 2025. $20. 9780593324981

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (ADVISABLE) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Jack is talking to the mayor and dreaming of the town he would build if he were in power.

Like the three other books before this, Jack’s imagination is wild and also full of hope. It is a lot of silly fun, with a few good ideas thrown in. Van Dusen has written in a loosely iambic pentameter rhythm, so it can be difficult, when reading aloud, to keep from getting stuck singing the words. THe illustrations are highly engaging.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Trapped in the Tar Pit by Jessica Stremer and Alexander Vidal - ADVISABLE

Trapped in the Tar Pit by Jessica Stremer, illustrated by Alexander Vidal. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Beach Lane (Simon), 2025. $20. 9781665953177

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Go back in time to the origins of the La Brea Tarpits, on through the animals stuck by it and on to the discoveries still being made.

If you have never been to the La Brea TarPits it is worth a visit if you are ever near Los Angeles (or Disneyland). While La Brea might be the most famous, there are at least a dozen sites around the world. Kids love dinosaurs - I think this will be of interest. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

I’m Trying to Love Farts Flatulence by Bethany Barton - ESSENTIAL

I’m Trying to Love Farts Flatulence by Bethany Barton. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Viking (Penguin), 2025. $19. 9780593693773

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

A young scientist and her little brother are going to teach us all about flatulence!

You know you probably need more than one copy of this book - farts are a very popular topic for elementary aged boys - and high school boys - and adult boys. Barton gives the humor and the facts about farts.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Salon Saturday written by Janelle Harper, illustrated by Charlot Kristensen - ESSENTIAL

Salon Saturday written by Janelle Harper, illustrated by Charlot Kristensen. PICTURE BOOK. Penguin Young Readers Group (Penguin Random House), 2025. $19. 9780593526330

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

It's the first trip to the salon for our young narrator and she is overwhelmed by all the options she sees on the street. What hairstyle would fit her best? Bobs, buns, coils, and fros and so much more!

I loved this story of our young narrator finding her own kind of beautiful, guided by the women in her life, like her grandmother, mom, and older sister. This book is a beautiful tribute to Black hair and shining the spotlight on one of the things that makes us unique. I think this could be paired really nicely with Hair Love by Matthew Cherry.

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes 

The Day the Crayons Made Friends by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers - ESSENTIAL

The Day the Crayons Made Friends by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. PICTURE BOOK. Philomel (Penguin), 2025. $20. 9780593622360

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Duncan wants to color, but all of the crayons are gone!  It’s okay, though.  Each of them sent Duncan a letter telling him about their new adventures.

I‘m so glad we get to revisit the crayons. Their adventures are so much fun. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Firefly Song by Colleen Paeff, illustrated by Ji_Hyuk Kim - ADVISABLE

Firefly Song by Colleen Paeff, illustrated by Ji_Hyuk Kim. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. McEldery (Simon), 2025. $20. 9781665931847

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

Lynn loves her yearly visits to the family cabin - especially watching the fireflies come out at night with their 6 seconds on- 6 seconds off synchronous pattern.  When Lynn learned that scientists thought that none of the fireflies in her area were synchronized, she knew she had to prove them wrong.  Thus began her journey to becoming known as the Lightning Bug Lady.

I really liked how even though Lynn never studied to become an entomologist, she still put in the hours and has become an important part of the field. Citizen scientist and a woman. Look into it as a classroom support book. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Nibbles Christmas by Emma Yarlett - ADVISABLE

Nibbles Christmas by Emma Yarlett. INTERACTIVE BOARD BOOK. Kane Miller, 2021. $12. 9781684642953

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Oh No! A hungry monster is eating its way through Christmas!

I love a board book with a difference - in this case, holes of every page - including the covers! Nibbles is silly and the action is based around a countdown - so educational to boot!

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

1, 2, 3, Do the Robot written by Michelle Robinson, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw - ADVISABLE

1, 2, 3, Do the Robot written by Michelle Robinson, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw. BOARD BOOK. EDC Publishing, 2023. $14. 9781684645664

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Layla the inventor isn’t tired enough for bed, so she stays up to create not 1, not 2, but 3 new robot friends. They dance and design the night away before falling asleep in the wee hours of the morning.

Three is not a crowd in this book!  I thought it was a cute STEM focused story with our girl Layla and her robot friends. I’m all about women in STEM. If you read it in your class, you can have everyone design their own robot friend as a connection to the story.

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

Merry Christmas! illustrated by Giovana Mederiros - ADVISABLE

Merry Christmas! illustrated by Giovana Mederiros. INTERACTIVE BOARD BOOK. Kane Miller, 2023. $15. 9781684646395

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

Join Santa and the elves as they are getting ready for Christmas Eve.

Sliding scene changers will be fun for young eyes and hands, who will want to flip the pages back and forth to make the changes. The rhyming is simple and a little stiff. A good optional holiday book.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Best Daddy of All by Peter Horn, illustrated by Jessica Meserve - ADVISABLE

The Best Daddy of All by Peter Horn, illustrated by Jessica Meserve. BOARD BOOK. North South Books, 2025. $20. 9780735845671

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Little Sebastian, the turtle, is relaxing with his dad. in the grass. Sebastian wonders what kind of things dads can do. Dad then goes on to describe what animal dads can do. Sebastian then guesses which kind of animal his dad is talking about. Sebastian decides who the best daddy is in the end. 

Horn creates a sweet story all children can relate to. Meserve echoes with playful illustrations. She fills the pages with movement enough for any reader to enjoy. 

MOMMAC

 

Best Counting Book Ever by Richard Scarry - ESSENTIAL

Best Counting Book Ever by Richard Scarry. PICTURE BOOK. Penguin Random House, reprint 2025, 1975. $18. 9780593813638

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

Willy Bunny is bored. His father gives him the idea to go count everything he sees and share it with the family. Willy starts by counting himself as one. As Willy walks along, he counts various things up to 20 and then by 10s to  90. At dinner he shares his counting adventure  with his family. Willy and his dad end their day by going out on the porch to continue the count to 100.

Richard Scarry takes the cake on this delightful adding and subtracting book. Along the way, children are able to categorize by color and activity also. This delightful book can be read over and over by both children and adults. It is so very entertaining!

MOMMAC

Baby Ballena written by Ben Gundersheimer, illustrated by Marcos Almada Rivero - ADVISABLE

Baby Ballena written by Ben Gundersheimer, illustrated by Marcos Almada Rivero. PICTURE BOOK. Penguin Young Readers Group (Penguin Random House), 2025. $19. 9780593624845

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Follow along with the gray whale migration from the warm sandy shores of Mexico all the way up to the cold Arctic waters with our bilingual narrator, Juana, a newly born gray whale.  

I loved the bilingual text and thought the illustrations were engaging. I could see being a great read-aloud for a dual-language immersion class. It also could be a great book to add to a science picture book collection. 

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes