The Dance of Courage by Misty Copeland and Setor Fiadzigbey - ESSENTIAL

The Dance of Courage (Bunheads, Act 2 )by Misty Copeland and Setor Fiadzigbey. PICTURE BOOK.Nancy Paulsen Books (Penguin), 2025. $19. 9780399547683

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

Misty and Cat are friends who love the art of ballet. One day when Misty was visiting Cat, Cat told her how she wanted their next performance to be the ballet, Don Quixote and how Don Quixote searches far and wide for his love, Dulcinea. The next day at ballet rehearsal, Cat suggests that the company perform it.

Misty Copeland, as an expert on ballet, wrote a touching story about two friends who lift and care for each other. Copeland, as the first black American to be promoted to principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre, can understand the need for inclusion and kindness in team situations, which she shares so well in this sweetly illustrated story. Misty is a black American and Cat is Hispanic.

MOMMAC 

Better Than A Touchdown by Jalen Hurts and Nneka Myers - ESSENTIAL

Better Than A Touchdown by Jalen Hurts and Nneka Myers. PICTURE BOOK. Flamingo Books (Penguin), 2026. $20. 9798217040308

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

Jalen, a young boy, is so excited to start school this year because he will get to try out for the football team. Unfortunately, he quickly learns that football has been canceled for the year because the garden club is growing vegetables where the football team would play. Jalen is devastated and asks teachers and mentors how they deal with disappointment. He gets a lot of good advice along the way. One that really stuck with him is, "ten percent of life is what happens to you, and ninety percent is how you respond." Jamal and his friends team up with the garden club to see if they can enjoy both football and gardening.

I liked this book because it gives kids a lot of good ideas and strategies on how to deal with disappointment. It was a little text heavy on some pages, but my 7 year old daughter enjoyed it. The illustrations were cute and the story flowed well. All of the main characters are African American.

Reviewer: A. Criswell, English Language Arts teacher 

Gingerbread Yeti by Dan Gemeinhart and Hugo L. Cuellar. - ESSENTIAL

Gingerbread Yeti by Dan Gemeinhart and Hugo L. Cuellar. PICTURE BOOK. Henry Holt (Macmillan), SEPTEMBER 2026. $19. 9781250356765

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

Ella the Elf is cooking up a giant gingerbread man for the elves to enjoy on Christmas Eve, but a mistaken extra ingredient turns him into an abominable yeti instead.  How will they be able to save Christmas? 

Gemeinhart uses the rhythm pattern of “The Night Before Christmas”, which is a little easier to read out loud than most rhyming picture book text. The story is so adorable from beginning to end. Gemeinhart even includes a gingerbread man recipe.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Whale’s Tale and the Otter’s Side of the Story By Kate Messner and Brian Biggs - ESSENTIAL

The Whale’s Tale and the Otter’s Side of the Story by Kate Messner and Brian Biggs. PICTURE BOOK. Clarion Books (Harper), 2026. $20.

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

A charming book from elementary-school favorite Messner that is read from front to back to give the whale’s argument about why whales are better than otters, and then read back to front to give the otter’s rebuttal to the whale, using the same arguments in reverse.

Messner cleverly shows how an argument can be pro or con when words are rearranged and the book is a great example of character perspective and would be a fun springboard to either an animal study unit or to use as an example of author bias, depending on the age group. Biggs’ bold and playful illustrations add humor and whimsy to the arguments as the animals debate over which one is actually the best, and the book is a great read aloud for grades 2 and up. Back matter contains actual otter and whale facts.

Reviewer: Heather Robinson, Elementary School Librarian

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

Forty the Fortune Teller by Drew Daywalt and Kevin Cornell. - ESSENTIAL

Forty the Fortune Teller by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Kevin Cornell. PICTURE BOOK Philomel (Penguin), 2026. $19. 9780593691465 

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

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Forty is one of those paper fortune tellers where you spell out a color and then pick a number and get your fortune. Unfortunately, Forty was dropped on the playground before ever getting to deliver even one fortune. Then, she meets a chip and they find a bolt that needs to be replaced in the playground slide - but all sorts of things stand in their way, the first one being a squirrel. When Forty tells his fortune, he is swept away by it. Maybe she's more powerful than she thinks! 

Drew Daywalt is such a great storyteller, and this story is funny and clever. I love Cornell's illustrations. I'm so excited to recommend this to the kids who love the "Crayons Quit" books. This would be so fun to read just before teaching a class on how to make the Fortune Tellers (instructions provided). 

Lisa Librarian  

The Case of Old MacDonald and His Farm by Mark Teague - ADVISABLE

The Case of Old MacDonald and His Farm by Mark Teague. PICTURE BOOK. Beach Lane Books (Simon), 2026. $20. 9781665990769

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

There is a gang about the farm! They are called The Skunk Gang and they are creating havoc on Old MacDonald’s Farm! Cows now have mustaches, horses have stripes, chickens have hats! Officer Busby from Animal Control is concerned until she realizes what day it is, April 1st! Just wait to see what happens on the 4th of July! The Skunk Gang is already starting to plan.

This a fun side story to the beloved “Old MacDonald Has a Farm”. The illustrations are detailed and very colorful. The farmer’s expressions are life-like and funny.  The addition to the Skunk Gang weaved into this story is a fun and unexpected twist. Officer Busby is black. 

S. Lewis

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

Wild About Capybaras! by Kevin McCloskey - ADVISABLE

Wild About Capybaras! by Kevin McCloskey. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Toon Book (Astra Books for Young Readers), 2026. $14. 9781662665776

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

Capybaras are the world's largest and trendiest rodent, and beloved across the world.  Wild About Capybaras! is a Giggle and Learn graphic novel full of many facts about this trendy animal.  Capybaras can swim like seals, have fourteen toes, eat their own poop, and many more fun facts.

Wild About Capybaras is a quick, fun, and fascinating read for kids of all ages.  I really enjoyed the graphic novel format and McCloskey's humorous approach to the facts.

PGPowers

Venus! Fierce and Fabulous by Stacy McAnulty and Stevie Lewis - ESSENTIAL

Venus! Fierce and Fabulous by Stacy McAnulty and Stevie Lewis. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Odd Dot (Macmillan), 2026. $19. 9781250334473

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

McAnulty brings her characteristic wit to teaching us all about Venus in the newest book in her “stellar” series. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo and John Picacio - ESSENTIAL

The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo, illustrated by John Picacio. PICTURE BOOK Little, Brown, 2025. $20. 9780316295703 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Cala is not looking forward to the party on Dia de los Muertos. She misses her grandfather terribly and doesn't want to go to the cemetery. Once there, she loses sight of her family, and instead, meets a ghost on horseback - the ghost has a terrible cold. Cala offers her mother to make him some soup, but as they are looking for her, they meet a skeleton on a horse of bones who is hungry, and he is invited along. Will Cala find her family or continue to be delayed by these spirits of the dead? It seems Cala has some lessons to learn from them. 

Leigh Bardugo writes an amazing story, but oh the illustrations! Wow! Cala (and the reader) are taken to a fiery magical experience, including a ride with Death himself. I loved the lessons about being sick and poor and caring for others, and how she can keep her grandfather's memory alive in a better way. Highly recommended! The family is Hispanic. 

Lisa Librarian Yes 

Adora-a-Butts! (Butt or Face? #4) by Mari Lavelle - ESSENTIAL

Adora-a-Butts! (Butt or Face? #4) by Mari Lavelle. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Sourcebooks, 2026. $14. 9781464233067

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

Ready for the fourth book of the Butt or Face series? Now that my middle school students have discovered it, they can’t get enough. Humorous and highly educational. If you don’t know the format, each page has a close up of either the face or the butt of some kind of creature.  Turn the page to find out which part you are looking at, the kind of animal it is, and then some interesting tidbits about it. Simple, fun, and lots to learn.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Little Red and Big, Bad Fred by Ashley Belote - ESSENTIAL

Little Red and Big, Bad Fred by Ashley Belote. PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2025. $19. 9780593902431

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

Little Red loves his encounters in every season with Fred, the fluffy kitty that lives in the forest. Little Red thinks that Fred is the best. When Fred gets hurt one day, Red brings Fred to his Great Grandfather who informs Red that Fred is a DOG! Even better!

As you know the story of Little Red Riding Hood, you know Fred is really a wolf. Watching the two interact is pure gold. Belote has a perfect combination of text and illustrations creating a cohesive whole.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

The Secret World of Spider Webs by Jan Beccaloni and Namasri Niumim - ADVISABLE

The Secret World of Spider Webs by Jan Beccaloni, illustrated by Namasri Niumim. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Thalmes & Hudsen, 2025. $20. 9780500653845

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

The Secret World of Spiderwebs gives readers a dazzling glimpse into the remarkable work of spiders. You will learn about fourteen different kinds of spiderwebs, uses, and which spiders build that type of web. The reader also learns to appreciate spiders and how they keep the world from being overrun by insects.

Beccaloni has created a very interesting spine-tingling tribute to spiders. I really enjoyed the foil-stamped illustrations that accentuated the intricacy of spider-web designs.

PGPowers 

Mega: The Most Enormous Animals Ever by Jules Howard and Gavin Scott. - ADVISABLE

Mega:  The Most Enormous Animals Ever by Jules Howard, illustrated by Gavin Scott. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Nosy Crow, 2025. $30. 9798887772004

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

Mega: The Most Enormous Animals Ever explores Earth's largest creatures, both extinct and living, with a focus on megafauna like mammoths, whales, and giant birds.  There are detailed illustrations and facts that cover animal evolution, extinction, and conservation.  The dust jacket unfolds into a large poster of a mammoth.

Howard's text and facts are very captivating.  I especially loved the astonishing illustrations on each page.

PGPowers

Santa Needs a New Butt! by Dawn McMillan and Ross Kinnaird - ESSENTIAL

Santa Needs a New Butt! by Dawn McMillan, illustrated by Ross Kinnaird. PICTURE BOOK. Dover Publications, 2025. $9. 9780486855141

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

Poor Santa has squished and lopsided butt problems from sitting in his sleigh too long.  Everyone jumps into action to try and help,  but Grandma ends up saving the day with the perfect solution for Santa's derriere.

McMillan is back at it with another one of her butt books. The illustrations are colorful and bold.  I was glad to see they are large enough for a room full of students to enjoy and the rhyming story is short enough to hold the youngest readers' attention.  The repeated use of the word "butt" will surely garnish plenty of giggles.  I look forward to sharing this book as a read-a-loud.

Alissa Loves Books

Small World: Meet 30 of Earth's Tiniest Creatures by Nick Crumpton and Rosie Dore - ESSENTIAL

Small World: Meet 30 of Earth's Tiniest Creatures by Nick Crumpton, illustrated by Rosie Dore, 95 pages. NON-FICTION. Quarto Publishing, 2025. $30. 9780711288577

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

The tiniest of creatures, as all animals, strive to find food and escape capture. They are found in all types of animal groups such as birds, fish, amphibians, invertebrates, mammals, and reptiles. Most of the tiny creatures use supremely defined ways of thwarting their enemies from camouflage, to body transformation, to poison, to bioluminescence, and to symbiotic relations. Some of these amazing creatures measure less than an inch.

Crumpton shares incredible information concerning tiny creatures. Dore's illustrations are lifelike and beautiful. Each new page is full of surprise and delight for biology lovers of all ages. At the end of each section, Dore illustrates on one page the comparison of the actual size of these creatures. This is a must read if just for the Illustrations. 

MOMMAC

I’m Trying to Love Farts Flatulence by Bethany Barton - ESSENTIAL

I’m Trying to Love Farts Flatulence by Bethany Barton. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Viking (Penguin), 2025. $19. 9780593693773

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

A young scientist and her little brother are going to teach us all about flatulence!

You know you probably need more than one copy of this book - farts are a very popular topic for elementary aged boys - and high school boys - and adult boys. Barton gives the humor and the facts about farts.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Day the Crayons Made Friends by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers - ESSENTIAL

The Day the Crayons Made Friends by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. PICTURE BOOK. Philomel (Penguin), 2025. $20. 9780593622360

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Duncan wants to color, but all of the crayons are gone!  It’s okay, though.  Each of them sent Duncan a letter telling him about their new adventures.

I‘m so glad we get to revisit the crayons. Their adventures are so much fun. 

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