Thank You for Being a Friend by Andrew Gold, illustrated by Sanne Dufft. - ESSENTIAL

Thank You for Being a Friend by Andrew Gold, illustrated by Sanne Dufft. PICTURE BOOK Random House, 2026 $19. 9780593903094 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Friends in a band, on a team, at a picnic, in a show or in their neighborhood send notes or tell each other "Thank you for being a friend!" 

Andrew Gold's hit single from 1978 (later revived as the theme song to the television show "Golden Girls") is beautifully illustrated in this darling picture book. A great picture book about friendship. Readers don't need to be familiar with the song; it makes a fun read-aloud, but, you know, why not stream the song and follow along? Even the background vocals are included in the text. The illustrations are gorgeous! I love that kids, adults, and elderly people are all represented. There's a child in a wheelchair in multiple illustrations, and recurring kids as well. Can't say too many good things about this picture book. 

 The characters are multicultural and of many different ages. 

Lisa Librarian 

Spooky Pookie by Sandra Boynton. - ADVISABLE

Spooky Pookie by Sandra Boynton. LARGE-SIZED BOARD BOOK. Boynton Bookworks (Simon and Schuster), 2026. $13. 9798347115785

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Pookie is trying to choose a costume to wear for Halloween.

My one year old granddaughter loves her Spooky Pookie board book - I know she’s going to love the bigger size for this 11th anniversary. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Monsters are the Worst! by Alex Willan - ADVISABLE

Monsters are the Worst! by Alex Willan. PICTURE BOOK. Simon 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Gilbert Goblin has a monster problem - one that followed him home from the forest.

I think Gilbert is going soft!I could tell the whole time that he really loved that monster! Gilbert is such a great unreliable narrator. Willan has taken him through seven adventures now.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Poo Pile on the Prairie by Amy Hevron - ESSENTIAL

Poo Pile on the Prairie by Amy Hevron. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Beach Lane (Simon), 2026. $20. 9781665935029

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Even something as small as a pile of bison scat can support an ecosystem necessary to the health of the prairie.

The Tiny Habits are so well written. Hevron makes each one a small bite that teaches a lot. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Me & the Magic Cube written by Daniel Fehr, illustrated by Golden Cosmos - ADVISABLE

Me & the Magic Cube written by Daniel Fehr, illustrated by Golden Cosmos. PICTURE BOOK. NorthSouth Books (NordSüd Verlag), 2025.  $20.  9780735845732

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

One day a child finds a colorful cube in a dusty, forgotten box and with their friends, dives down the rabbit hole of fun facts about what the cube is, who invented it, and all the ways you can move it.

If you’ve ever spent time trying to solve a Rubik’s cube, you need to read this book to learn the history. Ernő Rubik invented his Magic Cube in the early 70s and sold hundreds of millions of puzzles. The author does a great job of switching between the history and the math of the puzzle and the story of the three friends playing with the toy, trying to figure it out. The text itself is quite dense, as it covers a lot of material, but the illustrations are so interesting. They feel retro themselves, a sort of callback to the picture books of the 70s. I think this would highly appeal to a small group of students.

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

Have You Ever Seen a Ghost? by Daniel Kwan & Julia Pott, illustrated by Sean Lewis - OPTIONAL

Have You Ever Seen a Ghost? by Daniel Kwan & Julia Pott, illustrated by Sean Lewis. PICTURE BOOK Atheneum (Simon and Schuster), 2026. $20. 9781665956925 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

There's a ghost in the house and they need your help. They are going to a party and want your advice about a lot of different things, maybe even about whether or not to go to the party. 

I feel like there were some great ideas for illustrations and for hiding a ghost in a picture, but then the authors had to figure out the text to accommodate. This story is way more complicated than I expected for a picture book, and it expects a lot of the reader's perception. Asking them if they can see a ghost and there's not really something to look for to actually find where in the picture the ghost might be, can be frustrating. (The cover picture is not typical of where to find the ghost) It was a lot - that said, the illustrations are clever and fun, but it just wasn't for me. 

Lisa Librarian  

My Dear Sea written and illustrated by André Carrilho - ADVISABLE

My Dear Sea written and illustrated by André Carrilho. PICTURE BOOK. Blue Dot Kids Press, 2025. $19.  9798989858835

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

On a visit to the beach, our first-person narrator shares their experiences and respect for the sea. From playing games on the beach, to exploring tide pools and the fisherman’s wharf, the reader gets to see the many facets of the ocean and why it is so important.

This is a love letter to the sea and young readers are going to love getting lost in all of the illustrations. I thought the illustrations were so interesting & unusual. The book is a translation of a Portuguese-language text, so some of the phrasing is a little odd. But overall, it will speak to all your kids that want to become marine biologists some day (which is way more than you think it is).

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

It’s Alive (Night Frights) by Joe McGee and Teo Skaffa. - ADVISABLE

 It’s Alive (Night Frights) by Joe McGee and Teo Skaffa. EARLY READER Level 3. Simon, 2026. $19 (hc), $6 (pb). 9781665984898

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

Max and Raven buy some beautiful sidewalk chalk with their allowances. When their drawings come to life, however, even the butterfly becomes something menacing. How can the siblings defeat the monsters and save their town?

Think of these as beginner R.L. Stine books. Kids who like creepy things will have a nice time moving up to chapter books by starting here. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Uh-Oh, Hugo! written by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Jay Fleck - ADVISABLE

Uh-Oh, Hugo! written by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Jay Fleck.  PICTURE BOOK. Flamingo Books, Penguin Random House, 2026.  $19.  9798217039203

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY

Hugo is just a little puppy, ready to start his perfect day of adventuring. After a series of unfortunate events, Hugo comes back home tired, stinky, and muddy. Did he have a perfect day after all? You bet he did!

Hugo is the reason why I don’t do dogs. They get into everything and become a muddy, stinky mess. But for someone who loves dogs and/or has a pug, they would love this book. As far as teaching with this book, there are lots of examples of onomatopoeia in the book that can be fun to reinforce how writers use sound words to show action in the story.

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

To Knit a Ghost by Z.B. Asterplume and Heather Brockman Lee - ADVISABLE

To Knit a Ghost by Z.B. Asterplume and Heather Brockman Lee. PICTURE BOOK Random House, 2026. $19. 9798217025671 

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

There is so much for the little witch to do before she can knit a ghost. First, her supplies and a cup of tea, a comfy chair, and some stretching - be sure to feed the cat and feed herself. At last, she can knit a ghost! But are the real ghosts helping or hindering? 

I loved this! Illustrator Brockman Lee has incorporated photographs of yard and knitting, and everything is accurate. The details in the illustrations are clever and worth looking for - her knitting instruction book says it includes a potion for getting cat hair out - I need that! 10yo AJ read it too and was thoroughly delighted; the cat added to the funny illustrations. Includes basic instructions on how to cast on and how to knit. When I finish this review, I'm grabbing my needles and finding some yarn and knitting a ghost for myself. 

Lisa Librarian 

When Tad Kicked Vlad written by Julian Gough, illustrated by Ross Collins - ADVISABLE

When Tad Kicked Vlad written by Julian Gough, illustrated by Ross Collins.  PICTURE BOOK. Faber & Faber Limited, 2026.  $19.  9780571380237

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY

Birthday boy Tad gets upset and kicks his best friend Vlad, which sets off a chain reaction of the "kick that goes around the world". When the kick comes back to Tad at his next birthday, he escalates things with a fart to the face...setting off another chain reaction. At his next birthday, Tad has to decide if he going to escalate things further (what's worse than a fart??), or is he going to break the cycle?

I thought this was a very funny story about consequences and how our actions impact other people. Obviously it is super hyperbolic, but young readers will enjoy the humorous illustrations, and at the same time, hopefully think about how to react in moments of anger and how to channel those feelings into more positive behaviors. Some teachers might be worried about the physical violence depicted - there are a lot of kicks and farts on page - but I think most kids would like it. 

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes 

Giggling Ghosts by Fiz Osborne and Tim Budgen - OPTIONAL

Giggling Ghosts by Fiz Osborne and Tim Budgen. PICTURE BOOK. Simon and Schuster, 2026. $13. 

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

The little ghosts are rested and ready to head out for a night of haunting. They can’t help giggling every time they scare something. 

A little annoying, but also the ghosts are so dang cute, I couldn’t help liking it.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS