From Bam to Burp by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens - ESSENTIAL

From Bam to Burp by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens. NON-FICTION, PICTURE BOOK Charlesbridge/Imagine, 2025. $18. 9781623544461 

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

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Carbon atoms have been around for millions of years, originally stored deep inside the earth and bursting through the crust during volcano activity. Carbon is part of gasses in the air, is used in photosynthesis, is part of the air we breathe and the sugars we eat, it's a cycle that plays many parts in our natural processes. 

Melissa Stewart tells a great story, and Marta Alvarez Miguens' illustrations are perfect. This could be a boring topic but presented this way, it's not. I love how the possibility of us having a carbon atom inside us that was also inside a dinosaur exists. Who wouldn't want that to be part of this cool process - and it happens just by eating something with carbon atoms. 

Lisa Librarian

South with the Seabirds: Follow Four Scientists to the Edge of the World by Jess McGeachin - ADVISABLE

South with the Seabirds: Follow Four Scientists to the Edge of the World by Jess McGeachin. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Orca Book Publishers, 2026. $22. 9781459834859

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

In 1954, Hope Black, Mary Gilham, Susan Ingham, and Isobel Bennet were the first female scientists to join an Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition. These scientists each observed different species such as penguins, Southern elephant seals, and seabirds. Their research is still in use today.  

McGeachin celebrates four pioneering women scientists, and encourages others to make observations around them.  I liked their field-note-style watercolor illustrations. 

PGPowers

Who’s Making that Big Stink? by Darrin Lunde and Erica J. Chen - OPTIONAL

Who’s Making that Big Stink? by Darrin Lunde and Erica J. Chen. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Charlesbridge, JUNE 2026. $18. 9781623546250

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

COme along and meet several flora or fauna and read about the big stinks they bring to the world.

Chen’s illustrations are a real draw for avid picture book gazers. The non-fiction information on each page, though, is short, so i don’t think it will an older reader’s attention as an information source.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Cedar Mother by Hetxw'ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Husun) and Natasha Donovan - OPTIONAL

The Cedar Mother by Hetxw'ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Husun), illustrated by Natasha Donovan. (The Mothers of Xsan) NON-FICTION, PICTURE BOOK Highwater Press. 2026. $20 9781774921586 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

The cedar tree life cycle, told from the perspective of a storyteller from the Gitxan Nation in the Northwest Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Interwoven into the pertinent facts, are the culture and respect for nature of the Gitxan people. 

I liked how the deep connection between all living things is represented through science and culture, where the sockeye salmon also nourishes the cedar. The culture is represented through words and the art, which complement each other nicely. A good resource for learning to respect nature and indigenous culture. 

Michelle in the Middle 

Just One Oak by Maria Gianferrari and Diana Sudyka - ADVISABLE

Just One Oak by Maria Gianferrari, illustrated by Diana Sudyka. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Beach Lane Books (Simon),  2026. $20. 9781665961042

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

An oak tree is so much more than meets the eye.  From tiny fungi to mighty mammals, this amazing tree contains a whole world.  Learn about how insects, birds, bears, squirrels, Owls, deer, foxes and many more creatures are drawn to the rich and healthy environment an oak creates.

Gianferrari comprehensively and simply teaches the reader about all the amazing ways an oak supports the animals and plants around it.  Each page is a delight with beautiful illustrations and fun interesting facts.

PGPowers

Our Islands by Yuval Zommer - ADVISABLE

Our Islands by Yuval Zommer. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK.  Thames & Hudson, 2025. $20. 9780500653685

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

Our Islands takes young readers on a journey to unique islands around the world.  Readers will explore each island's location, formation, special plants, animals, extreme environment, and highlights any natural marvel.

Our Islands fuels the reader's natural curiosity with colorful, creative illustrations, and fun fact vignettes.  I liked the illustrated world map showing the location of these fascinating islands.

PGPowers

Spring Seeds (Little Seasons #2) by Mirka Hokkanen - ESSENTIAL

Spring Seeds (Little Seasons #2) by Mirka Hokkanen. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Odd Dot (Macmillan), 2024. $19. 9781250885609

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

Hokkanen gives us a look at some of the many different kinds of seeds and the life cycle of a seed. Her illustrations are absolutely adorable and it didn’t feel like I was reading a non-fiction book, but I was! It would be fun to have each student choose a seed at the beginning endpapers to follow throughout the book. I want my own copy. It does include a memory card game that a librarian would need to pull out before circulating.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

When Planet Earth Was New by James Gladstone and Katherine Diemert - ADVISABLE

When Planet Earth Was New by James Gladstone, illustrated by Katherine Diemert. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Owlkids Books Inc., 2023. $10. 9781771475976

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

When the Earth was new, you could not walk on it because of the molten lava coming from volcanoes. Comets would crash into it. Then, when the Earth's surface cooled, water vapor rose, and rain descended, creating mighty oceans. Life began in the water. Dinosaurs came and went. What remained are versions of animals we can see today. Humans are a small spec in the vast history of our planet. 

Gladstone chose to tell a quick, sweeping story of the earth's history that a young child could understand. The illustrations echo the simple story that was intended. The illustrations will attract a young reader with their bright, vivid colors.

MOMMAC

Children of the Throne by Joseph Coelho and Richard Johnson - OPTIONAL

Children of the Throne by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Richard Johnson. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Frances Lincoln Children's Books (Quarto), 2025. $19. 9780711289543

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Three children go into the forest called by a tree-grown man.  He tells the children about the new dangers to nature and how they need to be the ones to make a change and restore the world.  The summer is too hot.  He shows the children how to conjure rain and look after the forest, finding a sort-term solution.  How can they protect the forest for future generations?

Children of the Throne is a poetic story about climate change and using the next generations to make better choices, but it lacked interest.  Johnson's illustrations are very beautiful.

PGPowers

The Big Empty: a sagebrush survival story by Kirbi Fagan - OPTIONAL

The Big Empty: a sagebrush survival story by Kirbi Fagan. PICTURE BOOK. Millbrook (Lerner), 2025. $20. 9798765627242

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

With few words, Sagebrush gives us a look at the important role it plays in desert life. 

The back matter is where the information really is about sagebrush. The illustrations are very dramatic and landscape painting-like, but there is very little to hold onto within the text. In communities where sagebrush is a big part of the ecosystem, I could see it being useful.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Three Weeks in the Rainforest by Jennifer Swanson - ADVISABLE

Three Weeks in the Rainforest by Jennifer Swanson. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Charlesbridge, 2025. $21. 9781623543167

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

Three Weeks in the Rainforest follows the Field Museum's Rapid Inventory 30 team in Columbia as they race to gather data over three short weeks in the field.  Biologists trek through mud and rain, counting every animal and plant they see.  Social scientists visit villages, speaking with people about their goals for the land.  Based on this evidence, the team makes a case of conservation.  So far their teams have helped conserve almost 30 million acres of Amazon rainforest.

Swanson gives us a glimpse into real-life fieldwork in the rainforest.  This is not a detailed book about animals and plants that live in the rainforest. I liked the pictures of the scenery and the animals they were able to capture.

PGPowers

When Twilight Comes by Marcie Flinchum Atkins and Michelle Morin - ADVISABLE

When Twilight Comes by Marcie Flinchum Atkins, illustrated by Michelle Morin. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Chronicle Books, 2026. $20. 9781797216799

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

When Twilight Comes takes the reader on a walk through the special moments between day and night.  The reader learns about crepuscular creatures -- familiar animals and plants that are most active at dawn or dusk such as skunks, white-tailed deer, fireflies, morning glories and more.

When Twilight Comes is a lyrical description of the secrets and surprises that unfold only in the twilight.  The backmatter includes a Glossary and more information and facts on crepuscular Critters and Flowers. I enjoyed the lushly illustrated pages.

PGPowers

Rock Star: How Ursula Marvin Mapped Moon Rocks and Meteorites by Sandra Neil Wallace and Nancy Carpenter - OPTIONAL

Rock Star: How Ursula Marvin Mapped Moon Rocks and Meteorites by Sandra Neil Wallace, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Simon and Schuster, 2025. $20. 9781534493339

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

In the 1940’s men told Ursula Marvin that she was not allowed to study geology, so she went somewhere else for her education. In the 1970’s Ursual was the first woman to trek to Antarctica, joining a team searching for meteorites from all over outer space. While a broken leg cut her trip short, she still built her career on identifying and examining meteorites. 

Could be an addition to any curriculum that talks about meteorites.  However, it is text heavy and a bit dry. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

If You Went To The Bottom Of The Ocean by Brooke McIntyre and Gordy Wright - ADVISABLE

If You Went To The Bottom Of The Ocean by Brooke McIntyre, illustrated by Gordy Wright. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Chronicle Books, 2026. $20. 9781797226514

BUYING ADVISORY:  EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Come along on a submarine mission that takes you past reefs, beyond the shore sea floor, down through the sunlight layer, the twilight layer, the midnight zone, and all the way seven miles down to the bottom of the ocean.  Along the way, learn about many types of fish at each depth, and the mysterious sea life that dwells in the deepest depths.  Find out how interconnected the ocean's ecosystems are.

McIntyre has created a thrilling adventure for children to explore the depths of the ocean and the sea life that dwells there.  Wright beautifully captures the sea with gouache and watercolor illustrations.  I liked the fold-out poster and backmatter with even more scientific facts.

PGPowers

I, Rock: a Geology Tale by Katie Slivensky and Steph Stilwell - ADVISABLE

I, Rock: a Geology Tale by Katie Slivensky and Steph Stilwell. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Beach Lane (Simon), 2025. $20. 9781665940368

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Rock teaches us not just about the different kinds of rocks and crystals, but also takes us through his own millenial long journey - through earth’s mantle to the crust and through different phases of its existence. 

90% of Slivensky’s book is excellent - it is 100% interesting to look at and very clear and engaging. My Earth Science teachers (7th grade) did have a couple of little problems - early on (1.8 billion years) it shows the continents and the plates as we know them today. Several pages later (325 million years) it shows a supercontinent, which we assume is Pangea; we feel it would have been clearer if those two things were reversed. The other detail was the page showing, as it said, erosion - the little rock rolling down the hill. The teachers had a great debate about whether the definition is actual for weathering, not erosion - but the rock bouncing is showing erosion. That’s my teachers’ two cents. Otherwise, they still want to the book so that they can use it in their teaching.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Welcome to the Cactus Hotel by Brenda Z. Guiberson and Megan Lloyd - ADVISABLE

Welcome to the Cactus Hotel by Brenda Z. Guiberson, illustrated by Megan Lloyd. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, 2024. $9. 9781250889270

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

Let's meet the guests at the Cactus Hotel. A gila woodpecker, cactus bees, elf owls and red- tailed hawks are only a few animals that make cactus their home. Welcome to the Cactus Hotel tells us how the cactus helps so many animals in the desert! I found this non-fiction book to be very intriguing. It was a good way to teach students about animals that live in the desert. The illustrations are realistic and text is very minimal on each page. Would make a good read aloud!

Tracie, Elementary School Librarian 

Pool Party by Amy Hevron - ADVISABLE

Pool Party by Amy Hevron. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Beach Lane (Simon), 2025. $20. 9781665935043

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

Join the party as a bromeliad fills with water in the rainy season and then nurtures life throughout the year, until it is time to start over again.

While very simple, Hevron stills brings enough information to the telling that I felt I learned a lot. Her illustrations have a child-like quality, while still feeling professional.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Trapped in the Tar Pit by Jessica Stremer and Alexander Vidal - ADVISABLE

Trapped in the Tar Pit by Jessica Stremer, illustrated by Alexander Vidal. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Beach Lane (Simon), 2025. $20. 9781665953177

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Go back in time to the origins of the La Brea Tarpits, on through the animals stuck by it and on to the discoveries still being made.

If you have never been to the La Brea TarPits it is worth a visit if you are ever near Los Angeles (or Disneyland). While La Brea might be the most famous, there are at least a dozen sites around the world. Kids love dinosaurs - I think this will be of interest. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Volcano Atlas by Tom Jackson and Maggie Li, - ESSENTIAL

Volcano Atlas by Tom Jackson and Maggie Li, 61 pages. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Words and Pictures (Quarto), 2024. $17. 9780711283794

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

What is a volcano?  Come along with Jackson and Li as they dive into the basics of a volcano and then tour 23 volcanic sites around the world with more detailed information.

I love this highly illustrated non-fiction book.  Each page is full of fascinating tidbits in a highly digestible fashion. I would love to buy extra copies of the book and divide the pages up for a class to investigate each site further. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

 

Don’t Waste the Poop! by Marilyn Sanger, pictures by Heather Fox - ESSENTIAL

Don’t Waste the Poop! by Marilyn Sanger and Heather Fox. NON-FICTION EARLY READER Level 2. Simon, 2025. $19. 9781665971997

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Sanger and Fox have given us a humorous, but fact-filled look at different animals that use poop for a variety of reasons. While it made me a little queasy, I know that young readers, especially boys, love learning about and talking about poop.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS