The Littlest Christmas Tree by Jane Chapman - NO

The Littlest Christmas Tree by Jane Chapman. BOARD BOOK. Tiger Tales, 2026 (2024 pb). $10. 9781664352308

BUYING ADVISORY: NOT RECOMMENDED

A little bear and his bear dad are getting ready for Christmas.  Along with other forest animals they find cute little trees and celebrate the holiday season.

As adorable as the illustrations are, I can not recommend this book. First of all it is a reprint of a picture book, so it is very wordy on every page. Second, it comes a whole year of time, so it is trying to do too much. Third, the bears dig up a tree from the forest (good), replant it after they are done (good), but then they dig it up again the next Christmas! BAD! SO BAD! Leave that poor tree in the ground after you use it once. I just can’t. And I haven't even mentioned how put out the bear dad seems in every illustration - he only smiles four times in the whole book. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Grizzly by Herve Le Goff - ADVISABLE

Grizzly by Herve Le Goff. PICTURE BOOK. Post Wave, 2026. $19. 9798895091555

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Racoon is ready for all sorts of things today, while big old Grizzly puts on his grumpy face and always says no -- and then goes along with Racoon. 

I enjoyed watching Grizzly say No to everything and then smiling so wide when he goes along anyway. The sweet sentiment at the end is perfect for all sorts of odd couples - the ode to being together.

Translated by Charis Ainslie.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

I Love Every Pizza You! by Kitty Blain and Liv Wan - OPTIONAL

 

I Love Every Pizza You! by Kitty Blain and Liv Wan. BOARD BOOK. Tiger Tales, 2026. $10. 9781664352339

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Six slices of pizza, six pages - each a heartfelt expression of love for the reader. 

The kids that read board books are not old enough to understand the pizza-related wordplay on each page (I love you from my head to-ma-toes). They will enjoy the fun illustrations and the pizza-sliced pages. Oh - a classic pizza recipe is included!

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Unfathomable: 20 Wild (But True) Stories about the Ocean by Mary Boone and Max Temescu - ADVISABLE

Unfathomable: 20 Wild (But True) Stories about the Ocean by Mary Boone and Max Temescu, 192 pages. NON-FICTION. Random House Children's Books (Penguin Random House), 2026. $20.

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: ELEM (4-6), MS

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Unfathomable details twenty wild-but-true stories about the ocean and the many things that exist inside. Stories range from encounters with animals that live in the ocean, to pollution, to survival at sea, as well as a host of other things. There is truly so much to learn about our oceans!

The book, quite literally, started off with a bang about the Florence, Oregon whale bombing in the 70s, which had me in tears. I was laughing so hard. The rest of the book is interesting, gross, or weird in equal measure. Considering that most kids want to be a marine biologist at some point in their lives, you can bet this one will do brisk circulation in your classroom library.

Kiera Beddes, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes. 

ABC Learn With Me! - ADVISABLE

ABC Learn With Me! BOARD BOOK. Tiger Tales, 2026. $9. 9781664352223

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Tiger Tales gives us a bright, simple ABC book.  One letter per page, with a sweet illustration for the word. I’m glad they didn’t try to squeeze more than one letter on a page.  The book doesn’t feel too chunky, with the thinner flaps to open.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The First Christmas by Jeffrey Burton and Antonio Javier Caparo - ADVISABLE

The First Christmas by Jeffrey Burton and Antonio Javier Caparo. PICTURE BOOK. Little Simon, 2026. $20. 9798347112913

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Burton Intersperses verses from traditional Christmas hymns with a well-paraphrased version of the story drawn from the Bible. Caparo’s illustrations glow and together they create a beautiful Nativity story.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

1, 2, 3 Counting Tree! Illustrated by Laura Silveira - ADVISABLE

1, 2, 3 Counting Tree! Illustrated by Laura Silveira. BOARD BOOK. Tiger Tales, 2026. $9. 9781664352230

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Count from one to ten. Each page has a tactile number, the correct number of dots for the number, and the touchable letters. 

The pictures have some tactile elements, but you can’t really discern the picture from touch alone. If only the words and numbers were also reproduced in braille, I would give this a chef’s kiss. But nonetheless, children will enjoy the sensations provided by the textures as they enjoy the bright illustrations.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

We’re Going on a Parranda! by Mayra Cuevas and Monica Paola Rodriguez - NO

We’re Going on a Parranda! by Mayra Cuevas and Monica Paola Rodriguez. PICTURE BOOK. Beach Lane (Simon), 2026. $20. 9781665966368

BUYING ADVISORY: NOT RECOMMENDED

A little girl is going to the all night parranda with her family.  As she listens to the different instruments played by the participants, she tries to find an instrument and rhythm of her own. 

The illustrations are full of life and joy. I was disappointed, however, that the parranda is only explained in the back matter - I was hoping for a new book about a community celebration. Also, the text seems to want to rhyme - some of the sentence constructions are a little convoluted in that way.  UT - while a few might be considered slant rhymes, most of them aren’t even close to rhyming. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Big Rig Pig by Claire Tattersfield and Rob Sayegh Jr - ADVISABLE

Big Rig Pig by Claire Tattersfield and Rob Sayegh Jr. PICTURE BOOK. Penguin Young Readers Group (Penguin Random House), 2026. $16. 9798217039012.

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL (4-6) – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY

Miles Bacon is the Big Rig Pig and he can haul it all! Time and again, Miles is called on to help out with different heavy loads, just adding them onto his semi-truck. Uh-oh! Miles’ truck is now broken. Who can he call to help him haul the rest?

First of all, the storytelling and illustrations are very clever. There are all sorts of fun details to uncover on each page. I love the mixed media composite illustrations. I really liked this story, but I’m not sure how you could use it in a classroom setting. Regardless, I think it’s an engaging story with great illustrations. I think it would be a great read-aloud.

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Pumpkin! by Sarah Finan - OPTIONAL

Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Pumpkin! by Sarah Finan. BOARD BOOK. Post Wave, 2026. $9. 9798895090961

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

An ode to pumpkin and some is its many uses.

You know what doesn’t make sense - Showing pumpkin bigger than your head right in the middle of listing different ways you can eat pumpkin. That is the only misstep in an otherwise cute book celebrating the vegetable of the season.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Butt Who’s This? by Sophie Aggett and Paulne Gregory - ADVISABLE

Butt Who’s This? by Sophie Aggett and Pauline Gregory. BOARD BOOK. Tiger Tales, 2026. $10. 9781664352100

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

When the crocodiles try to take a group photo, they are interrupted by a Zebra’s cheeky butt. Don’t worry - when the zebras want a photoshoot, they will get interrupted in turn - and so down the line.

If you aren’t afraid of animal butts, you will have a lot of fun with each flapped page. The final page has an even funnier twist. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Dino Book illustrated by Denis Angelov. - ADVISABLE

The Dino Book illustrated by Denis Angelov. BOARD BOOK. Tiger Tales, 2026. $13. 9781664352155

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Learn lots of different concepts with dinosaurs as you push, pull, flip, slide your way through.

The flaps are thinner, so make sure you keep an eye on the very handsy kids (like my grandson).  But I love the wide variety within and the expressive, colorful dino illustrations.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS