Noodles on a Bicycle by Kyo Maclear and Gracey Zhang - ADVISABLE

Noodles on a Bicycle by Kyo Maclear and Gracey Zhang. PICTURE BOOK Random House, 2024. $19. 9780593706084 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Soba deliverymen bring Japanese soup and noodles all over the city. The chefs are up early, making the noodles and broth, but the deliverymen on bicycles, with bowls stacked high on their shoulders, are a sight to see! When will we get ours? 

I couldn't believe it! They were stacked so high, I was reminded of "The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins" but apparently this is for real. There's a photograph right at the beginning. Wow. Gracey Zhang's illustrations are fun, with lots of children admiring the deliverymen. I loved the story as well. Looking forward to reading this again. The children and and workers are Japanese. 

Lisa Librarian

Nop by Caroline Magerl - ADVISABLE

Nop by Caroline Magerl. PICTURE BOOK. Walker Books, 2025. $19. 9781761600807

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

Nop, a stuffed bear, lived among forgotten items at Oddmint's Dumporeum. Other stuffed animals enhanced themselves and were chosen by children, but Nop was not. He made a balloon and sailed away, seeking a place to belong.

Nop is a story about someone who feels forgotten by others, and decides to take matters into his own hands. The story is a little difficult to understand.  The illustrations are cute and interesting.

PGPowers

Mr. Lepron’s Mystery Soup by Giovanna Zoboli and Mariachiara Di Giorgio - OPTIONAL

Mr. Lepron’s Mystery Soup by Giovanna Zoboli and Mariachiara Di Giorgio.  PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick, 2024. $19. 9781536233391

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Each autumn Mr. Lepron and his rabbit family gather vegetables from the farmer’s fields and he makes one giant pot of delicious soup that is famous all over the world.  One day he decides to ramp up production and sell his soup all over the world.  But as the factory expands and the worries begin, his soup loses that special sparkle that made it so delicious.  Mr. Lepron has a difficult decision to make.

Zoboli seems to have a book about the dangers of over-commercialism and the joy of small batch  production. The story is a little heavy-handed. Plus it is a very long read - very text heavy - it felt like it took up a longer time to read than I wanted to spend on it.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Duck, Duck Taco Truck by Laura Lavoie and Teresa Martinez - OPTIONAL

Duck, Duck Taco Truck by Laura Lavoie and Teresa Martinez. PICTURE BOOK. Doubleday (Random House), 2024. $19. 9780593644638

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Duck runs a successful taco truck at the beach - until Goose comes along and takes all of the business.  But Goose becomes overwhelmed.  Can they both succeed if they work together?

I love the illustrations, I love the lesson.  I do not love the rhyming composition - Rhymes are hard to pull off and the story becomes awkward stuck into the convention. Can we have a do-over with normal sentences?

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Animal Tails by Rose Davidson - ADVISABLE

Animal Tails by Rose Davidson. EARLY READER (Level 1). National Geographic, 2023. $6. 9781426338809

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Meet the tails and uses of tails from a wide variety of animals - reptiles, mammals, insects, and more.

I like the clever composition of Davidson’s book.  Each page has a part for an older reader (Like a parent) and a simpler part for the early reader.  The text is enough that a beginner will probably need help with their part. Davidson packs a lot of information and many adorable pictures in his work.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Go Forth and Tell by Breanna J. McDaniel and April Harrison - ADVISABLE

Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller by Breanna J. McDaniel, illustrated by April Harrison. BIOGRAPHY, PICTURE BOOK Dial (Penguin), 2024. $19. 9780593324202 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Augusta Baker grew up listening to her grandmother's stories. As an adult, she became a storyteller herself. Working as a librarian in New York, Baker noticed that there weren't positive stories and books about black kids. She knew she needed to make a difference. 

I am grateful for librarians like Augusta Baker and Pura Belpre who actively made changes in the library system to add inclusion for all children. I love that Baker preserved cultural stories. The length of this picture book biography along with the back matter makes it a more appropriate purchase for upper elementary. Augusta Baker is African American 

Lisa Librarian

My Daddy is a Cowboy by Stephanie Seales and C.G. Esperanza - ADVISABLE

My Daddy is a Cowboy by Stephanie Seales, pictures by C.G. Esperanza. PICTURE BOOK Abrams Amulet, 2024. $18. 9781419760815 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

A child goes on an early morning horseback ride with their father.  

The illustrations are so colorful! Beginning in the darkness of early morning, I love how the colors build as the daylight grows. Such a lovely special time with a child excited to spend special time with their father. The family is African Latino. 

Lisa Librarian

Good Hair by Yonne Sewankambo, illustrated by Freda Chiu - OPTIONAL

Good Hair by Yonne Sewankambo, illustrated by Freda Chiu. PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick, 2024. $19. 9781536238860

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Birungi is so frustrated with her hair!  She doesn’t even want to go to school.  Her understanding parents take her on a walk through town, pointing out what a variety of hair colors and types there are - and that each should be celebrated.

My frustration with this book is that Sewankambo doesn’t actually solve Birungi’s problem - she serves up feel-good platitudes instead.  I was hoping for something more than “take good care of your hair” or “love your hair as it is” feelings. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Bouncing Bunnies! by Fiz Osborne and Tim Budgen - ADVISABLE

Bouncing Bunnies! by Fiz Osborne, illustrated by Tim Budgen. PICTURE BOOK. Simon and Schuster, 2025. $13. 9781665975056

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Down in the burrow are the floofiest bouncing bunnies! With so much energy to expend, will they ever be ready for sleepy cuddles?

Perfect for pre-nap time story time!  Be ready for bouncy, jumping and tail wagging fun.  Better have a little snack ready, too. ADorable bunny illustrations and such fun, energetic text to read aloud.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

John the Skeleton by Triinu Laan, Marja-Liisa Plats and Adam Cullen - OPTIONAL

John the Skeleton by Triinu Laan, illustrated by Marja-Liisa Plats, translated from Estonian by Adam Cullen, 64 pages. PICTURE BOOK Yonder, 2024. $20. 978163206370 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

When the Skeleton from science class is retired by the teacher, Gramps and Grams take it to the farm. Gramp repairs and replaces broken parts, they dress him in a coat and hat and he becomes part of the family. But Gram wonders if the neighbors will think hosting a skeleton at the farm means they are too old to live on their own. John (the Skeleton) comes in handy when he scares off some burglars, Gramps and Gram find him comforting to talk to, and the grandkids love him. Maybe John the Skeleton is a good thing to have around after all. 

Full of short vignettes, John the Skeleton is personified - he's happy, and he enjoys things. They take him around the farm with him. I really didn't know what to expect, but found John the Skeleton delightful. What a sweet story, mostly about grandparents who have found someone to take care of. The illustrations are pencil drawing, with the occasional drawing colored pink. There's an illustration of children in a tub with John - and a sauna story - both which contain a naked bottom. Also contains a story about Gramp's burial wishes. In the author's notes, I was surprised to see John the Skeleton is based on a true story, so watch for the photo! 

Lisa Librarian 

Up, Up, Ever Up! by Anita Yasuda and Yuko Shimizu - ADVISABLE

Up, Up, Ever Up! Junko Tabei A Life in the Mountains by Anita Yasuda, art by Yuko Shimizu. BIOGRAPHY, PICTURE BOOK Clarion, 2024. $20. 9780063242418 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Junko Tabei always wanted to climb mountains, but mountain climbing equipment was made for men, so she improvised. When men wouldn't climb with her, she planned an all-women expedition to Mt. Everest. Nothing can stop Junko Tabei. 

I love these picture book biographies. I've learned about so many different people, and now I know about the first woman to climb Mt. Everest. The illustrations are well done, and the book contains an author's note, timeline and a bibliography. Junko Tabei was Japanese. 

Lisa Librarian

Chooch Helped by Andrea L. Rogers and Rebecca Lee Kunz - ADVISABLE

Chooch Helped by Andrea L. Rogers, illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz. PICTURE BOOK Levine Querido, 2024. $19. 9781646144549 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

2yo Chooch isn't a baby anymore. He likes to help, but his helping isn't always helpful. The adults just smile and let him participate, but when he ruins a pot his sister is making, she gets angry and yells at him. Her parents yell at her. Time for a family meeting, and a story about helping and teaching. 

I loved the illustrations representing all the ways Chooch helped. I can see reading this with a child and identifying what the job is and what Chooch is doing that isn't actually helping. I loved the Cherokee names and how to pronounce them. A darling story of family experiencing a universal problem. Chooch and his family are Cherokee 

Lisa Librarian