Gotta Go! by Frank Vita - OPTIONAL

Gotta Go! by Frank Vita. PICTURE BOOK. TOON Books, 2023. $19. 9781662665073

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

APPEALS TO: SOME

Owen is going to see Grampa for a day at the park. His mom asked him if he had to pee before they left, but he has to go now! Owen makes it to Grampa's bathroom just in time. At the park Grampa teaches Owen some silly dances that help him when he has to pee.

This book was not for me, but kids who love potty-talk will enjoy it. The illustrations are mostly black, white, and shades of yellow. The text is speech bubbles, which I normally enjoy, but some of the pages were hard to follow the order of the panels. The main characters are white; background characters are multi-racial.

Rachel, Elementary school librarian 

Prince Bedhead by Taye Diggs, Shannon Stoeke, and Paul Kellam - OPTIONAL

Prince Bedhead by Taye Diggs, Shannon Stoeke, and Paul Kellam. PICTURE BOOK. Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan), 2026. $19. 9781250831309

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

The prince of Gladly has wild hair. His dad is unhappy that he can’t keep his crown on his head, so the boy goes to a friend to help him.

While I am a fan of the sentiment of the story, I am not a fan of the sing-songy text. The illustrations are bright and fun, but I also don’t understand how the crown design that the prince settles on is such a revelation to the kingdom. It just doesn’t make sense.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Houdini's Library by Barb Rosenstock and Mar Delmar - ESSENTIAL

Houdini's Library by Barb Rosenstock and Mar Delmar. NON-FICTION, BIOGRAPHY PICTURE BOOK. Alfred A. Knopf (Random), 2026. $19. 9780593570135

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Did you ever wonder where Harry Houdini learned how to be a magician? It was through reading books! Houdini's Library is the story of Harry's life, how he started out in a poor family of a Jewish rabbi. Houdini worked many jobs before finding a book about magic. That book changed his life.

Houdini's Library is a very intriguing story that teaches how important books are. Harry was actually and avid reader and book collector. The illustrations are beautifully painted and some of them look like postcards or photos. Houdini's Library would be a great read aloud and would hopefully help to promote the biography section in the library. Harry and his family are Jewish.

Tracie, Elementary School Librarian 

Worm on the Job by Maureen Fergus and Paul Hammond - ADVISABLE

Worm on the Job by Maureen Fergus and Paul Hammond. PICTURE BOOK. Kids Can Press, 2026. $20. 9781525313165

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Worm has read every book in the library, so he sets out to find a new job. Though the manager of the convention center doesn’t think Worm can do it, he gives Worm an overnight trial. Maybe Worm will have a chance to prove himself.

Lots of silliness here. You have to suspend your belief and take Worm as the capable figure he sees himself.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Upside-Down Iftar by Maysa Odeh and Nadine Issa - ADVISABLE

Upside-Down Iftar by Maysa Odeh and Nadine Issa. PICTURE BOOK. Henry Holt and Co. (Macmillan), 2026. $19. 9781250365552

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Malak is too young to fast during Ramadan, so she asks her grandmother to help her make something special for the rest of the family. They decide on makloubeh, a rice, meat, and vegetable dish. Everyone likes a different gathering of ingredients. Malak wants to make something to please everyone, but also to be true to herself.

More a story about grandmother and granddaughter enjoy cooking together, than a look at Remadan. It is a very sweet look, however. Students who celebrate Ramadan will love thai representation. And this would easily be a part of a holiday unit - especially one that includes food!

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Leave Me Alone! by Dr Becky Kennedy and Joanie Stone - ADVISABLE

Leave Me Alone! A Good Inside Story About Deeply Feeling Kids by Dr Becky Kennedy and Joanie Stone. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan), 2026. $20. 9781250413116

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

When Pia trips and ruins the game she was playing with her older brother, her feelings explode and her sad becomes mad instead. Her mother takes her upstairs and sits with Pia as she finally works through her hard feelings.

The title and cover of the book are heavy handed, but the story itself is sweet and nickel written.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Cook in a Book! Cake by Lotta Nieminem - ADVISABLE

Cook in a Book! Cake by Lotta Nieminem. INTERACTIVE BOARD BOOK. Phaidon, 2025. $23. 9781837290246

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

The latest offer in the Cook in a Book series let you bake a cake without getting a single spoon dirty. Or, you can follow the recipe with the real ingredients and have something tasty at the end to enjoy. This is a fun, innovative series that doesn’t disappoint from book to book.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Sometimes We Pray by Mary Wagley Copp and Felishia Henditirto - ADVISABLE

Sometimes We Pray by Mary Wagley Copp and Felishia Henditirto. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Charlesbridge, 2026. $18. 9781623546403

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

There are many ways people pray like on our knees, lying down, or watching the stars. There are many places people pray like at a mosque, a meetinghouse, or a synagogue. People pray in silence, or dancing, or chanting. When things don't always go their way, people continue to pray. Prayer can unite us.

Copp beautifully describes prayer experience from many points of view. She writes about her experience with students at prayer and her research on the subject at the end of the book. The sweet illustration reflects many cultures in prayer and invites joy. There are illustrations of every color of skin and also reflects various cultures and religions.

MOMMAC 

The Dream by Gideon Sterer and Nick Henderson - OPTIONAL

The Dream by Gideon Sterer and Nick Henderson. PICTURE BOOK. Clarion Books (Harper), 2025. $14. 9780063357990

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

An elementary aged girl is supposedly moving to a new home. On her way she passes factories, pollution and landfills. She is disheartened by how humans treat the earth. That night the girl dreams that she meets a wolf that feels the same way. By working together, can they make a difference?

This is a wordless picture book that evokes strong emotions. Most pictures are very moody and muted. The Dream has beautiful illustrations and an important message but would work better with grades 4-6 or perhaps middle school. Would be a good read aloud for Earth Day but I don't know that individual students would want to check it out.

The girl is presumably white.

Tracie, Elementary School Librarian https://www.kingsenglish.com/item/UhelvOrckPncvaDzqr4dmw

Welcome to the Nighttime Train by Louise Fitzgerald and Margarita Kukhtina - ESSENTIAL

Welcome to the Nighttime Train by Louise Fitzgerald and Margarita Kukhtina. PICTURE BOOK. Nosy Crow Inc., 2025. $18. 9798887772059

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

The Nighttime train is here to pick up children at bedtime. The first stop is Pajamaville. The second stop is Toothbrush Town. Then, on to Library Land, and the train finishes at Starlight Skies in their own beds. 

Fitzgerald creates a joy filled book about going to bed. She uses Onomatopoeia and Alliteration to enrich and create flow of the story. The illustrations are cute animals that look like stuffed toys that could represent any child. A read aloud audio book is attached with a QR code on the back cover. The speech of the performer carries on at a good pace, with clear wording, but feels a little monotonous compared to the excitement of the storyline. The one part of the read aloud that was irritating happened when the reader finished the sentence on another page after a ""turn the page"" bell had rung. " Any child could see themselves in this book.

MOMMAC 

The Girl Who Was Too Big for the Page by Geena Davis - ADVISABLE

The Girl Who Was Too Big for the Page by Geena Davis. PICTURE BOOK. Philomel Books (Penguin), 2025. $19. 9780593463963

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

APPEALS TO: SOME

Follow Sheila, who at the beginning of the book is just a baby and still crawling. As each year passes, Sheila gets one year older. She goes on adventures with her family- so big that they don't fit on the pages in the book. But after one summer, Sheila comes back to school and she is a lot taller than her friends. Her head doesn't even fit on the page! At first, Sheila is upset that she is so different from her friends. Sheila realizes that she doesn't need to change herself, she will always fit somewhere in the world.

I liked the idea of this plot, but it didn't draw me in. The theme of being yourself and that it's ok to be different is great. My 7 year old daughter thought it was a fun story, but not one she would want to reread.

Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher 

Diary of a Bee by Stepanka Sekaninova and Linh Dao - OPTIONAL

Diary of a Bee by Stepanka Sekaninova and Linh Dao. Translated by Mark Worthington. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. B4U Publishing for Albatros, 2025. $17. 9788000074467

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

APPEALS TO: SOME

The 37-day life of Matilda, a worker bee, is spent feeding larva, collecting pollen, cleaning and protecting the hive, and doing other worker bee tasks. Matilda explains how a hive works including the different bees and their jobs. I appreciated the cute illustrations and that the text was geared toward a young audience. 

That said, I didn't love all the ways the bees were anthropomorphized. In one instance, Matilda's drone friend, Thomas is excited for his ""wedding flight."" He is described as the youngest bee who is flying off with a group of drones to mate with the queen. Matilda hopes he will come back, because the bees that mate with the queen will die. Thomas does come back and is disappointed because he couldn't finish his task. Kids probably won't read too much into this, but as an adult, it seemed a bit odd to give a bee characteristics of a young boy and use that bee to teach how drones mate with the queen.

Rachel, elementary school librarian