Everything is Music by Miriam Park - ESSENTIAL

Everything is Music written and illustrated by Miriam Park.  PICTURE BOOK.  Blue Dot Kids Press, 2026.  $20.  9798999567673

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY

Join a girl and her dog as they go about the city, collecting sounds and discovering there is music in everything.

This stunning picture book is a treasure trove of delights. First of all, the author & illustrator cleverly camouflaged several musical instruments & musical notation within the story, so it is a fun exercise to find them on each page. Secondly, I love the word play and emphasis on how the words sound as part of the storytelling. It’s such a great way to introduce word choice in ELA and in such a beautiful package. Lastly, I think this would be a great read-aloud for your music teachers. I love all the layers to this picture book. I’m obsessed! 

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

That Bird Can Draw! by Ged Adamson - ADVISABLE

That Bird Can Draw! by Ged Adamson. PICTURE BOOK. Nosy Crow, 2026. $19. 9798887772363

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Our nameless protagonist sees herself as a great artist, but that self-image is tested when her grandfather gets a new bird named Vera with some serious artistic skill. As a result, the young granddaughter considers hanging up her artist’s cap forever, until Vera the bird shows her that there is more than enough room in the world for all kinds of artists.

I adored this picture book about an artist who finds herself in competition with a talented bird. I thought the different artistic styles represented were fun, e.g. sculpture, paper art, mosaic, pencil, etc. I could see it being used in an art class as a read-aloud. I also loved the overall message that everyone can be an artist.

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

 

Goldfinches by Mary Oliver and Melissa Sweet - ADVISABLE

Goldfinches written by Mary Oliver, illustrated by Melissa Sweet. PICTURE BOOK. Viking (Penguin Random House), 2026. $19. 9780593692417

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

Award-winning poet Mary Oliver’s beautiful poem Goldfinches is brought to life with the stunning mixed-media artwork of Melissa Sweet.

The cover caught my eye initially, because of that gorgeous pink color. I was pleased to see Mary Oliver’s work at the heart of this picture book. I think it’s a great way to help students learn to access poetry, by pairing it with illustrations. I loved the artwork - the illustrations are vibrant, but also mimic the format of a nature journal, which is perfect for the poem’s topic. I loved the poem too. Like all of Mary Oliver’s work, it’s simple, yet meaningful. I could see this being used at every level (elementary, middle, & high school) to teach poetry in a different way. However, I do think it’s a book that adults will like more than kids.

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

 

Marie's Magic Eggs by Sandra Neil Wallace and Evan Turk - ESSENTIAL

Marie's Magic Eggs - How Marie Procai Kept the Ukrainian Art of Pysanky Alive written by Sandra Neil Wallace, illustrated by Evan Turk. PICTURE BOOK. Astra Publishing House, 2026. $20. 9781662680694

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

The title may be slightly misleading as there is no literal magic involved, just lots of talent and heart, but Marie’s Magic Eggs details the true story of how one Ukrainian immigrant woman preserved the art of pysanky, intricately decorated eggs using beeswax and dye, for the whole world to appreciate.

I loved this informative, well-researched biography of Marie Procai’s life and artistry. I vaguely remember seeing a PBS feature on pysanky as a child, so it was a real treat to read the story of the history behind this art form. I also loved the illustrations because they felt like pysanky art on each page telling the story. I could see this being used in a history class unit on immigration, or in an art class as an example of folk art.

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes 

Ghost Army by Sarah Glenn Marsh and Becca Stadtlander - ADVISABLE

Ghost Army: The Troop of Artists Who Helped Win WWII by Sarah Glenn Marsh and Becca Stadtlander. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Viking (Penguin), JUNE 2026. $19. 9780593691717

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

During WWII a small group of artists and musicians played a critical role throughout the war - convincing the enemy that they were real troops of hundreds or thousands of men backed by tanks and artillery. In truth their tanks were rubber and the thousands of troops were rumors and sound recordings!

It wasn’t until 1996 when the efforts and successes of The Ghost army, a troop of artists and sound technicians during WWII, were finally recognized and acknowledged. My grades don’t cover WWII, but any school that does should have this on the shelf.  You could also show this to a theater teacher or art teacher. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Kiki and the Can written by John Leguizamo, Liz Casal, and John Crash Matos - ADVISABLE

Kiki and the Can written by John Leguizamo, illustrated by Liz Casal, featuring graffiti artist John Crash Matos. PICTURE BOOK. Scholastic Inc., 2026. $20. 9781338785692

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Kiki felt bad that he didn’t have any contributions when his diverse group of friends were sharing about their cultural heroes, so he asked his family about their Latin heritage. Kiki then participates in the citywide mural project, honoring all sorts of Latin heroes with his graffiti portraits.

I picked it up initially because the art was eye-catching, but there is a whole lot more to the text. I felt like this was more informative than the casual reader might enjoy. Still, I think it’s important for Latino representation to have this picture book as a starting place. Kids can then do research on any one of the names mentioned in the book to see what Latin/Latino/Latinx peoples have contributed to art, science, food, & technology over the centuries. I do question why Kiki was allowed to leave his graffiti art everywhere, when not everyone recognizes it as a legitimate art form, but that may be just one of those things you have to suspend your disbelief in order to enjoy this story. 

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes 

Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia WenJen and Violeta Encarnacion - OPTIONAL

Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia WenJen and Violeta Encarnacion. PICTURE BOOK. Red Comet Press, 2026. $20. 9781636551920

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

APPEALS TO: SOME

The stories of two little girls separated by decades, both of whom are incarcerated by barbed wire.

WenJen and Encarnacion share the story of Fort Sill, Oklahoma - site of Japanese imprisonment during WWII and immigrant child imprisonment in 2014 - using reverso poetry and a stark color palette. In communities affected by recent detainments, the book could be helpful for children still processing.  I see the most value in secondary schools as a way to foster conversation about immigration - especially as the backmatter talks about the Japanese experience and the lies told by the US government. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Cassini’s Mission by Kate Venit and Julia Blattman - ESSENTIAL

Cassini’s Mission by Kate Venit, illustrated by Julia Blattman. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. MIT Kids Press, 2025. $19. 9781536232325

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

When the Cassini spacecraft was sent towards Saturn to explore the tiny moon Enceladus, the scientists thought they had packed it with every needed tool.  As the team had more questions to answer and challenges for Cassini, the little spacecraft responded beautifully, until they discovered the one question Cassini couldn’t answer - is there life on Enceladus.

I love this look at space missions and scientists finding out their hypotheses were incorrect and then changing their trajectory both literally and figuratively. Excellent for all levels of science teachers. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

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 

A Forest Song written by Kirsten Hall and Evan Turk - ADVISABLE

A Forest Song written by Kirsten Hall, illustrated by Evan Turk. PICTURE BOOK. Random House Children's Books (Penguin Random House), 2025. $19. 9780593480366

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

A cento poem is a patchwork of lines and phrases from other poems stitched together to create something new. A Forest Song reimagines dozens of poems together in a beautiful tribute to the wonder and glory of the wilderness.

Even though the official audience is listed as ages 4-8, I could see this being used as an example text all the way up through high school, demonstrating how to tie different pieces of poems together into something new. The artwork is colorful and beautiful, pairing so nicely with the powerful words. So, even though I could see how it can be used at every grade level, I don’t think kids will pick it up themselves (or necessarily recognize the original poetic references). This will have to be a book taught by teachers to make it fully accessible. The artwork is great though, and will catch the eye, even if they don’t understand the full weight of the text.

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

Fred & Marjorie: ...the Discovery of Insulin by Deborah Kerbel and Angela Poon - ADVISABLE

Fred & Marjorie: A Doctor, A Dog, and the Discovery of Insulin by Deborah Kerbel, illustrated by Angela Poon. 54 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL, NON-FICTION. Owlkids Books, 2021. $19. ISBN 9781771474115 

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: PG (animal testing, diabetes); Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

It’s fall of 1920. Fred Banting, a young surgeon and animal lover, who recently finished up his residency at Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, comes up with a great idea for how to treat juvenile diabetes, which up to this point is a deadly disease. Fred and student assistant, Charles Best, are given a small lab at the University of Toronto to test their theory on stray dogs. Marjorie, one of the strays, plays an essential part, as she is the dog who lives the longest without a pancreas, leading to the belief that insulin is indeed a life saving treatment for diabetes. 

 This heartwarming story about how insulin was discovered as a treatment for diabetes was such a cute read. The illustrations are simple and realistic looking. There is not too much going on on each page, which I think makes a good graphic novel. The spine, which only shows Fred & Marjorie, is not going to sell this book on its own, but anyone with a connection to diabetes will surely love this story, as well as those interested in the sciences and discovery of cures. Animal lovers should be aware. The dogs are heroes, but they do die. At the end of the story is included an author’s note that gives both a history of diabetes, but also describes the ethical dilemma of animal testing. 

Reviewer: J. Rosskopf

Evicted! The Struggle for the Right to Vote by Alice Faye Duncan and Charly Palmer - OPTIONAL

Evicted! The Struggle for the Right to Vote by Alice Faye Duncan, illustrated by Charly Palmer. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Calkins Creek (Boyds Mill), 2022. $19. 9781684379798

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

In the 1960s, in Tennessee, when Black people went to register to vote, they were evicted from the homes in retaliation. Undaunted, they started registering in greater numbers. Many of them found refuge in large-scale tents erected on donated land. Duncan gives us a look into another facet of the voting rights movement in the 1960’s.

While formatted like a picture book, each page is dense with information about Tennessee’s Tent City and the movement towards the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which is under attack in our present day. Duncan has not written a simple book meant for a quick read aloud. If students will read it on their own, it would be most useful in a middle school or high school that have enthusiastic teachers who cover the time period and issues. Palmer’s illustrations have depth and motion, and would delight any art teacher, too. I have to rate it OPTIONAL, because of the incongruity of the format with the dense text; it will be hard to find teachers and students who will embrace it outside of classroom use.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

The Greatest Song of All by Megan Hoyt and Katie Hickey - ADVISABLE

The Greatest Song of All: how Isaac Stern united the worlds to save Carnegie Hall by Megan Hoyt, illustrated by Katie Hickey. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Quill Tree (Harper), June 2022. $19. 9780063045279

BUYING ADVISORY: EL – ADVISABLE MS, HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Carnegie Hall was opened in 1891, when Isaac Stern was only 9 years old. By 1960, Stern had performed there more than 50 times. Then word comes that the Powers That Be are looking to modernize NYC’s downtown and Carnegie Hall is in the way. Isaac Stern will have to work swiftly to save his beloved Hall. He need help from people of all walk of life to raise the $5 million in such a short time.

A curiosity book about NYC history, but also great side stories that can be explored – urban planning, gentrification, displacing minorities in the name of “progress”. If a secondary class covers those types of issues, it could be a valuable addition.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

A Poem is a Firefly by Charles Ghigna and Michelle Hazelwood Hyde - ESSENTIAL

A Poem is a Firefly by Charles Ghigna, illustrated by Michelle Hazelwood Hyde. PICTURE BOOK. Schiffer Kids (Schiffer Publishing Ltd), 2018. $17. 9780764361081 

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Join a host of woodland creatures as they explore what makes a poem. Each creature offers up what they see a poem is, although, in the end, the reader comes to understand that a poem can be all these things and more. 

This short and sweet picture book is chock full of metaphors of what poems are as a bear walks in the woods. I loved it. It simultaneously charmed me and made me think about the nature of poetry. It would be a great text to use in a high school ELA class when talking about poetry, and obviously with younger grades as well. 

BookswithBeddes 

Song for Jimi by Charles R. Smith Jr. and Edel Rodriguez - OPTIONAL

Song for Jimi: the story of guitar legend Jimi Hendrix by Charles R. Smith Jr., illustrated by Edel Rodriguez. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHY. Neal Porter (Holiday House), 2021. $23. 9780823443338 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: EL – LOW; MS, HS - AVERAGE

Jimi Hendrix came into this world as Johnny Allen and lived a hard, chaotic, and wandering life before he became the famous, raw-toned guitarist. 

Smith uses long form poetry with a raw edge that feels like Jimi’s music for his narrative. He includes a lot of detail. My only problem is that the audience doesn’t fit the material. I will probably buy a copy for my middle school library, because we do share many picture book biographies. But I can’t understand why an elementary school would carry this. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

Chicken Little: The Real and Totally True Tale by Sam Wedelich - ESSENTIAL

Chicken Little: The Real and Totally True Tale by Sam Wedelich. PICTURE BOOK. Scholastic Press, 2020. $18. 9781338359015 

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3), EL – ESSENTIAL; MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Chicken Little gets hit on the head and talks to the sky to investigate. Another chicken happens by, mishears Chicken Little and sets off a panic in the hen yard. It will take several tries to calm everyone down enough to hear the truth. 

A great twist on the traditional Chicken Little story, but also an excellent look the importance of fact-checking and how hard it is to get people to acknowledge the truth. Not just for elementary students! 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

Justice Is… by Preet Bharara and Sue Cornelison

Justice Is… by Preet Bharara, illustrated by Sue Cornelison. PICTURE BOOK. Crown (Random), JAN 2022. $18. 9780593176627 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Bharara talks about the many facets of justice, showing people and events throughout history. She has thoughtfully collected representative people and events and left the words simple and clear. Each page has a person or situation worthy of a deeper dive. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

Blue by Nana Ekua Brew-Holland and Daniel Minter - ESSENTIAL

Blue: a history of the color a deep as the sea and as wide as the sky by Nana Ekua Brew-Holland, illustrated by Daniel Minter. PICTURE BOOK. Knopf (Random), Feb 2022. $19. 9781984894366 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Brew-Holland and Minter have a created a beautiful, accessible and frame-worthy book about the history of the color blue. I don’t know if other colors have such intriguing stories, but my heart wants a book like this for many more colors! Deep enough for a high school art class, but understandable for young readers too. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World by Michael W. Waters and Keisha Morris - ADVISABLE

For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World by Michael W. Waters, illustrated by Keisha Morris. PICTURE BOOK. Flyaway Books, 2020. $18. 9781947888081 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

When young Jeremiah hears about Trayvon Martin, he is concerned. When shots are fired on his own block, he is afraid. He and his sisters attend a vigil with their parents for another Black death. AS Jeremiah is ready to talk, his parents tell him the many different ways they and others are fighting to create a world where Blacks and other can be confident about their futures instead of afraid. 

 Waters brings today’s headlines right into the pages of his book, supplemented by extensive back matter with extension activities for school and home. Very timely and very important – I am betting that many schools will be passively censor this book by omission – afraid of the current school book police. But, as every death mentioned in the book is factual and Jeremiah’s feelings are justified, librarians shouldn’t be afraid. I would rate it higher, but the wordsmithing and craftsmanship of the illustrations don’t reach that ESSENTIAL level for me, though the subject matter does. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS 

A Peek at Beaks: Tools Birds Use by Sara Levine and Kate Slater - ESSENTIAL

A Peek at Beaks: Tools Birds Use by Sara Levine, illustrated by Kate Slater. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Millbrook (Lerner), 2021. $20. 9781541587342 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Fascinating! Levine tells us about all kinds of birds and their useful beaks. Slater’s illustrations compliment the text perfectly. Any age science class that talks about adaptations can fit this in with glee. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS