It's a Mom by Abby Cooper and Eliana Gutierrez - ADVISABLE

It's a Mom by Abby Cooper and Eliana Gutierrez PICTURE BOOK Charlesbridge/Imagine, 2026 $18 9781623546427 

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

A new mom has arrived! She needs all sorts of special care, like baths, and food and you need to play with her. Having a new mom is a HUGE responsibility.

Directed to the baby, this darling how-to guide has all the feels and all the things the baby needs to take care of their new mom. The illustrations are cute and funny. What a nice twist on the caring for a new baby books. While it is fun for the new big brother or sister, it would also make a great gift. The illustrations are of varying moms of different races and cultures (and even one male presenting mom!) 

Lisa Librarian 

For a Girl Becoming by Joy Harjo and Adriana Garcia - ADVISABLE

For a Girl Becoming by Joy Harjo and Adriana Garcia. PICTURE BOOK Norton YR, 2025. $19. 9781324052241 

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Joy Harjo has written a beautiful poem welcoming a new baby girl into the world. Relatives come to visit and bring gifts, both physical and spiritual. The child is encouraged to acknowledge the source of all the gifts, the gift of breathing, laughing, tears, dreaming, and others. To give, and help, and do, and praise, and grow. 

Beautiful illustrations accompany Harjo's poem. Intended for a Native American child, with many references to medicine plants, nature, and cultural illustrations; however, any child would find strength, belonging, and happiness in the pages of this book. It would make a wonderful baby gift as well. 

Lisa Librarian

The Story Orchestra: The Planets: Musical Puzzle: Press the note to hear Holst's music by Kaddo - ADVISABLE

The Story Orchestra: The Planets: Musical Puzzle: Press the note to hear Holst's music by Kaddo PICTURE BOOK. Kaddo, 2025. $23 9781836006275 

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

APPEALS TO: MANY 

This box contains a full puzzle image on a poster as a reference, puzzle pieces, and press the notes buttons that play Holst's music scores. 

Children will thrill as they piece together the jigsaw puzzle showing a brother and sister speeding through The Planets on an out—of—this—world adventure. As they put the shaped pieces into place, they can press the musical notes to hear the vivid sound of an orchestra playing from Holst's original score.
 This musical jigsaw puzzle is the perfect gift to introduce children to classical music. This is a fun way to help students and children learn or review The Planets. The colors are bright and bold. The addition of the musical buttons will thrill little fingers and help makielearning fun. The puzzle pieces are made of heavy construction material that will last many years.

S. Lewis

Can You Find Taylor? Seek-and-Find Board Book - ADVISABLE

Can You Find Taylor? Seek-and-Find BOARD BOOK. Tiger Tales, 2025. $10. 9781664351851

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, ADULT - GIFT - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Enjoy nine pages of Taylor Swift hunting. Lots of pages also have 13 other things to find. Swifties young and old will have a fun time searching on each page. Even after searching, you can still spend time enjoying each scene.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Listen to the Music at Christmas by Mary Richards and Skylar White - OPTIONAL

Listen to the Music at Christmas by Mary Richards and Skylar White. INTERACTIVE PICTURE BOOK. Wide Eyed (Quarto), 2025. $25. 9781836005834

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

APPEALS TO: SOME

Sammy and Pip have brought out a special Christmas box with magical objects and a sheet of music that takes them on a magical musical journey around the world to see different ways Christmas is celebrated.

The question you, as an adult, need to ask yourself is - how many times do you want to hear the snippet of music? THe back matter includes the name of each piece. Pip and Sammy’s story is incidental to listening to the tunes.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Little People, BIG DREAMS: Dream Team A Go-Fish Card Game by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara - ADVISABLE

Little People, BIG DREAMS: Dream Team A Go-Fish Card Game by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara. NON-FICTION CARD GAME. Kaddo, 2025. $13. 9781836001652

BUYING ADVISORY: GIFT - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series has created a fun, family oriented Go Fish card game that for children to enjoy. Families/ classrooms can Celebrate history’s heroes and discover new role models as they play.  Simply collect and match  illustrated cards featuring 36 inspirational figures and gather them into sets, including scientists, sports stars, activists, performers, and writers. The game comes in a sturdy board box with instructions and variations on how to play the game.  The illustrated manual gives detailed information about each of the famous role models. 

Although not a book, this is a fun and very educational card game.  Learning about famous role models such as Louis Pasteur, Mozart, Jesse Owens and Harriet Tubman can bring hours of family/classroom fun and learning. 

This multicultural game celebrates history’s heroes.

Reviewer: SL 

Make and Play: Build a Tree by Philippa Forrester, illustrated by Natalia Rojas Castro - GIFT

Make and Play: Build a Tree by Philippa Forrester, illustrated by Natalia Rojas Castro. INTERACTIVE NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK . Quarto Publishing, 2025. $25. 9781836005292

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - GIFT

APPEALS TO: MANY

To Build A Tree is an interactive guide to trees where you build your very own model of an oak tree with 15 press-out play animals, while learning about the crucial role trees play on our planet.  The reader will learn about why trees are important, trees through the seasons, animals that use trees as habitats, threats to trees, and more.

Build A Tree is a clever and interactive way to encourage  children to learn and care about trees.  They will eagerly love putting the model tree together with adult help as it is complex. The information is great for nature lovers and budding conservationists, but not of primary interest to the children.

PGPowers

Love is Taylor Swift by Patty Michaels, illustrated by Ruth Burrows - OPTIONAL

Love is Taylor Swift by Patty Michaels, illustrated by Ruth Burrows. PICTURE BOOK. Simon, 2025. $10. 9781665973519

BUYING ADVISORY: GIFT - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

What goes into being a Swiftie  -- sharing kindness and love.

The glittery cover will catch attention, but there is very little on the inside to give this book a backbone.  A die-hard young Swiftie might like it as a gift?

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Best Teacher Ever! by Richard Scarry Corporation - ADVISABLE

Best Teacher Ever! by Richard Scarry Corporation. PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2024. $10. 9780593706299

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

A celebration of all that teachers do for students. They teach letters and numbers, how to be tidy, encourage talents and are kind and patient while doing it.

Familiar Richard Scarry illustrations are used to highlight all we love about teachers. All told using simple rhyming text. Might be a good gift for a student to give to a teacher at the end of the school year.

Reviewer: A. Snow, Librarian

Stopping by Jungle on a Snowy Evening by Richard T. Morris and Julie Rowan-Zoch - OPTIONAL

Stopping by Jungle on a Snowy Evening by Richard T. Morris and Julie Rowan-Zoch. PICTURE BOOK. Atheneum (Simon), 2024. $19. 9781481478021

BUYING ADVISORY: GIFT - ADVISABLE; EL, MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

The boy is out … on his hippo?  …in the snow? Wait - there’s Robert Frost, trying to tweak the boy and the hippo back into fitting his poem.  But the boy, and the hippo, and the jungle have other ideas about what they see as a very boring poem. 

High alert gift idea for those Language Arts teachers in your life! Hopefully they have a sense of humor about poetry and Robert Frost in particular and will enjoy the byplay here.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Santa’s Workshop by Design Eye (Quarto) - ESSENTIAL

Santa’s Workshop by Design Eye (Quarto), 2023. $30. 9781836001027

BUYING ADVISORY: GIFT  - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

The elves at the North Pole have come together to write a handbook about the goings-on in their workshop and home. And because they are elves, they have made things extra special by including an interactive workshop with a large cast of characters to make-up your own stories with.

Being as I am, I put the workshop together without seeing the instructions on the last page of the booklet - and I did just fine.  I can think of three little ones (besides myself) that I want to gift this to this Christmas. I will also be buying a set to add to my personal Christmas decorations!

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (Story Fold Classics) - ADVISABLE

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (Story Fold Classics), 263 pages. Design Eye (Quarto), 2024. $15. 9781836001423

BUYING ADVISORY: GIFT - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Design Eye has taken the classic Christmas story and published it in a very beautiful cover, with illustrated and colored pages.  What makes this version really special, and best suited as a gift, is that as you read the book you fold each page (lines provided), so that by the time you finish the book you now also have a Christmas display piece.  

I haven’t finished the book, so I haven’t seen the final product, but I have my suspicions.  As someone who is book-folding-challenged, I appreciate the guiding lines. This seems to be the first in what I hope is going to be a series of collectable foldables. It would be fun to read this aloud at bedtime together and mark your progress with the folds.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Museum in a Book by Herve Tulet. - ADVISABLE

Museum in a Book by Herve Tulet. INTERACTIVE PICTURE BOOK. Chronicle, 2024. $25. 9781797226415

BUYING ADVISORY: GIFT - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

Tulet gives the reader a wide variety of pages to touch and explore, hoping to inspire the viewer to create their own fearless art exhibit.

I really wanted to rip all of the pages out of the book so that I could mix and match them in all kinds of different ways - but the limitations of bound pages meant I was just frustrated, instead. The art is interesting and inspiring - especially for those of us who have little of what is called artistic talent - bright and bold. But more of a gift book than one for general circulation.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Pokemon: Tales of Adventure by Scholastic - OPTIONAL

Pokemon: Tales of Adventure by Scholastic, 128 pages. CHAPTER BOOK Scholastic, 2023. $10. 9781338883428 

Content: G. 

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

APPEALS TO: SOME 

4 different Pokemon adventures, where Ash and his friends find a new Pokemon, then Team Rocket or another nemesis discovers them and they battle. 

All the stories are standard for the TV series, in fact, AJ tells me they are adaptations of episodes. You really need background knowledge of the characters and their Pokemon - just saying all the names made a read-aloud tricky. AJ (Pokemon world expert) loved it, I (Pokemon novice) struggled. Buy as a gift for the right kid. Based on the Japanese game and TV Series. 

Lisa Librarian and AJ (age 8) 

Gizmos, Gadgets, and Guitars by Michael Mahin and Steven Salerno - ADVISABLE

Gizmos, Gadgets, and Guitars: The Story of Leo Fender by Michael Mahin, illustrated by Steven Salerno. PICTURE BOOK NON-FICTION, BIOGRAPHY Henry Holt (Macmillan), 2021. $20. 9781250251862

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

Leo lost his eye in a farming accident, and his job as an accountant because of The Great Depression. Creating his own work as a small appliance repairman, he drew upon the skills he taught himself. Living in California, even the musicians around him came to Leo for help. When it came to electrified guitars, Leo felt that there was a better way - and he would put in the time and years to do it well. 

Guitar fans will certainly enjoy this picture book about Leo Fender's place in the invention of the solid body electric guitar. I like that the back matter includes more information about others who helped along the way. While not really fodder for elementary schools - unless the kids are in The School of Rock, nevertheless, I would show this to middle school and high schools if they have a guitar class. Leo is white. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian 

Ordinary Days by Angela Joy and Jacqueline Alcantara - OPTIONAL

Ordinary Days: the Seeds, Sound, and City That Grew Prince Rogers Nelson by Angela Joy, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcantara. PICTURE BOOK Roaring Brook (Macmillan), 2023 $20. 9781250797032 

Content: G (mentions only of parents yelling)  

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

Prince Rogers Nelson grew up in North Minneapolis, floating from house to house, as he escaped his parents' fighting. He loved basketball and music - honing his skills in both. He found his voice in what became the Minneapolis sound - and gifted the world with his music. 

Very mush a picture book that will be appreciated by the adults who love Prince's music. The biography part is all in the back matter - the picture book text is a poem that the author wrote as a tribute to the man who was famous, but who reveled in the ordinary, too. 

Cindy, Library Teacher

Metal Baby by Stephen W. Martin and Brandon James Scott - OPTIONAL

Metal Baby by Stephen W. Martin, illustrated by Brandon James Scott. PICTURE BOOK Margaret McElderry (Simon), 2024 19 9781665924931 

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - OPTIONAL, GIFT

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

The Mumfords are a quiet couple who live on a quiet street in a quiet house. Their brand new baby, however, is METAL! Loud, brash, and unwilling to ever be quiet. When Metalpalooza comes to town and Metal Baby is their headliner for three days straight, the Mumfords know that something has to change - and it may be THEM. 

I really loved Metal Baby, personally. Is it really for a school library? I don't think books about newborn babies are really a hit. But look at this one as a gift for new parents who are part of the metal fringe~ 

Cindy, MS Librarian, MLS 

Christmas is Coming! : an advent book, illustrations by Claudia Bordin - GIFT

Christmas is Coming! : an advent book, illustrations by Claudia Bordin. INTERACTIVE PICTURE BOOK. White Star Kids, 2023. $15. 9788854418165

BUYING ADVISORY: GIFT: OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Count down the 24 days before Christmas with stories and activities from this oversized Christmas book.  Follow Noel the elf as he brings Santa’s reindeer a snack, too. 

The illustrations are not the bright colors that we are used to in America (originally produced in Italy), instead they are a more muted, artistic vibe. For families who would like to have an “activity a day” advent calendar, this would be helpful. I am not that person.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS

How Does Santa Get Down the Chimney? By Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen - HIGH

How Does Santa Get Down the Chimney? By Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen. PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick, 2023. $19. 9781536223767 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Barnett and Klassen don’t have any answers about how Santa gets into every house on Christmas Eve, but they ask lots of good questions and have loads of ideas about the trick of it. Klassen brings a retro feel with his illustrations that hits the right note – classy, not cheesy! 

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS 

Train (Baby on Board) by Sebastien Braun - HIGH

Train (Baby on Board) by Sebastien Braun. INTERACTIVE BOARD BOOK. Templar Books, Candlewick, 2023. $10. 9781536232592 

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K Gift - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Baby likes trains? Let them push, pull, and spin their way through this sturdy book populated by a red train and its mouse engineer. 

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS