Little Ghost's Summerween by Maggie Edkins Willis - ADVISABLE

Little Ghost's Summerween by Maggie Edkins Willis. PICTURE BOOK. Beach Lane Books  (Simon & Schuster), 2026. $20. 9781665985147

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Little ghost gets an invitation to a birthday party.  He loves Halloween parties, but has never been to a birthday party.  Anya talks him into going.  He liked the birthday part of the party, but he wasn't good at any of the games.  Little ghost decides to have his own birthday party, but it is summer, and he only likes bats, black cats, and candy corn.  Halloween and summer just don't mix.  He finally gives up on the birthday idea.  But then Anya surprises him.

Little Ghost's Summerween is a warm and funny exploration of identity, friendship, and problem solving skills.  Willis' illustrations are expressive and charming.

PGPowers

Read All About It! by Benjamin Hall and Martina Motzo - ADVISABLE

Read All About It! by Benjamin Hall and Martina Motzo. PICTURE BOOK. Harper Collins, 2026. $22 9780063357549

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Father Hedgehog is a reporter for the newspaper and hoping to find a good story today.  Little hedgehog is excited to spend the day on a summer adventure.  His father reminds him about the rules.  Don't talk to strangers, don't lose my bag, and never cross the river alone. While little Hedgehog is playing by the river, he sees that a baby owl has fallen out of its nest across the river and a big bear is creeping towards it.  What can little Hedgehog do to help the baby bird without breaking the rules?

Read All About It! is a heartwarming story about speaking up and daring to make a difference.  Motzo's watercolor and ink illustrations are fun and interesting.

PGPowers

Dig Dig Digger by Morag Hood - ADVISABLE

Dig Dig Digger by Morag Hood. PICTURE BOOK. Two Hoots (Pan Macmillan), 2024. $19. 9781509889860

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

As Digger is digging away, as he does, he realizes that digging no longer makes him happy. So he decides to go up! Which isn’t exactly as exciting as he thought it would be. How will this little digger find home?

A cute story about the grass being greener (or is it) somewhere else. Digger is very cute. It would be great as a board book. - with wheels!

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Everything is Music by Miriam Park - ESSENTIAL

Everything is Music written and illustrated by Miriam Park.  PICTURE BOOK.  Blue Dot Kids Press, 2026.  $20.  9798999567673

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY

Join a girl and her dog as they go about the city, collecting sounds and discovering there is music in everything.

This stunning picture book is a treasure trove of delights. First of all, the author & illustrator cleverly camouflaged several musical instruments & musical notation within the story, so it is a fun exercise to find them on each page. Secondly, I love the word play and emphasis on how the words sound as part of the storytelling. It’s such a great way to introduce word choice in ELA and in such a beautiful package. Lastly, I think this would be a great read-aloud for your music teachers. I love all the layers to this picture book. I’m obsessed! 

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

What About Scout? by Guido Van Genechten - OPTIONAL

What About Scout? by Guido Van Genechten. PICTURE BOOK. Clavis Publishing Inc, 2025. $20 9798890631510

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

APPEALS TO: SOME

Sheep are herd animals. They all do the same things everyday. They eat, sleep, poop and watch the train go by. But, not Scout. He is different.

Great illustrations. It is fun to try and find what Scout is doing differently on each page. 

A. Snow, Librarian

Tiny Bear Goes Missing by Manka Kasha - ADVISABLE

Tiny Bear Goes Missing by Manka Kasha. PICTURE BOOK. Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan), 2025. $19. 9781250856999

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Small Knight and Tiny Bear go on an adventure to explore a cave filled with crystals. But when Small Knight wakes the next morning to discover Tiny Bear is missing, everything changes. During the search, Small Knight accidentally knocks over a jar, releasing Anxiety Monster, who had been trapped inside. To find Tiny Bear, Small Knight must learn how to confront their worries and fears. Along the way, Small Knight discovers that understanding anxiety can sometimes be more helpful than trying to battle it.

Wonderful pen, ink and watercolor illustrations. The story offers a gentle, thoughtful look at anxiety and emotional resilience in a way that is accessible for young readers.

Small Knight is white.

A. Snow, Librarian

Starbird by Sharon King-Chai - ADVISABLE

Starbird by Sharon King-Chai. PICTURE BOOK. Two Hoots (Pan Macmillan), 2023. $19. 9781035026296

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

The Moon King captured the legendary Starbird as a gift for his daughter. When the girl saw how sad Starbird was, she released it - and enraged Moon King who vowed to follow Starbird to the ends of the earth to recapture it.

I am enamored with King-Chai’s illustrations! Some pages are a seek-and-find as Starbird hides from the Moon King at night. King-Chai was written and illustrated a lovely new fable.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Boy and the Flame written and illustrated by Beatrice Blue - ADVISABLE

The Boy and the Flame written and illustrated by Beatrice Blue.  PICTURE BOOK.  Frances Lincoln Children's Books (The Quarto Group), 2026.  $19.  9780711291188

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Lucien is a little boy who is very frequently worried about when things change: new food, new friends, new school, etc. In fact, he would be happy if he could always stay safe and secure in his room and nothing would ever change again. But that all changes for him when he meets a magical animated fire ember named Seraphin who shows him the wonders of the natural world through all the different seasons. Maybe change isn’t so bad?

I liked how Lucian demonstrated his character growth over the year as he explores the world with Seraphin. The colorful illustrations were wondrous and magical. I think it will resonate well with younger readers, but I don’t think the upper elementary grades will like it as much.

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes 

Too Many Toucans by Paula Bowles - ADVISABLE

Too Many Toucans by Paula Bowles. PICTURE BOOK. Magination Press, 2026. $19. 9781433848544

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Toco, the toucan is searching for a home.  He finds a beautiful tree and draws up plans for a treehouse.  As he starts building, more and more toucans arrive to help.  The new toucans don't look at Toco's plans or listen to his ideas.  Will Toco ever get the treehouse that he wanted?

Readers get an intriguing story and learn valuable lessons with this book.  Too Many Toucans teaches the great lesson of standing up for what you want.  There are even tips in the back to teach children assertiveness and respectful disagreement.  With its combination of bright pictures and interesting text, Too Many Toucans would make a great read aloud!

Trace, Elementary School Librarian

Happy All Over by Emma Quay. - ADVISABLE

Happy All Over by Emma Quay. PICTURE BOOK. Little, Brown and Company, 2024. $16 9780316590860

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

Children are happy on the inside and outside. Many little things all day fill up a child's cup, such as playing with a puppy, dancing in the rain, planting a seed, swimming, swinging, jumping, and much more.  What little things make you happy?

Happy All Over is a cute and joyful, rhyming story that celebrates the small, everyday moments of happiness.  I loved Quay's calligraphic and watercolor illustrations tied together with colorful raindrop and cup motifs.

PGPowers

Piece Out by Alex Willan - ESSENTIAL

Piece Out by Alex Willan. PICTURE BOOK Astra, 2025 $19. 9781662620935 

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

APPEALS TO: MANY 

When a playing piece gets left out of the box on game night, they decide to find their way back on their own, avoiding perils like the dog, escaping from the fish tank, even climbing the curtain and ending up for a time in a place they'd only heard about. No one wants to be a missing piece. 

Oh, so cute and funny, I loved the map of the house with the funny names for things - the stove was called the hot lands, the sink, the wetlands. Every illustration was worth paying extra attention to, and the story was delightful. This will certainly be read over and over again. 

Lisa Librarian

A Cozy Summer Day written and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler - ADVISABLE

A Cozy Summer Day written and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. PICTURE BOOK.  Nancy Paulsen Books (Penguin Random House), 2026. $19. 9780593617236

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

The animal neighbors of Acorn Village are gearing up for a cozy summer day full of their favorite activities. From gardening, to picnicking, to floating down the river, join the Acorn Village families for the best summer day ever!

The illustrations are the biggest selling point in this book. There are so many fun activities happening on each page, I think your younger readers will just enjoy finding each character on the page and what they are doing on this fine summer day. The story is fine, nothing groundbreaking. My one complaint is how the author uses capitalization in the book. Capitalization is for proper nouns and beginning of sentences, not just Any Random Thing. But that isn’t going to distract your readers, just picky ELA teachers.

Kiera, ELA Teacher, #bookswithbeddes