Ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses by Tegen Evans and Tom Troese - ADVISABLE

Ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses by Tegen Evans and Tom Troese. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Nosy Crow, 2026. $20. 9798887772622

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses tells the history of ancient Greece's gods and goddesses. Topics include how Zeus became king of the gods, who gave Athens its name, why Hera turned a princess into a cow, and which deity pulled the Moon across the night sky.  Other gods featured are Hera, Athena, Poseidon, Artemis Apollo, Aphrodite, Hephaistos, Ares, Dionysos, Hermes, Demeter,  and Hades.

Evans has created an interesting deep dive into the important information relating to many of the ancient Greek gods and goddesses suitable for children.  Froese's illustrations are beautiful and expressive.

PGPowers

The Water Princess Builds a Well by Susan Verde, Georgie Badiel and Peter H. Reynolds - ADVISABLE

The Water Princess Builds a Well by Susan Verde, Georgie Badiel and Peter H. Reynolds. PICTURE BOOK. Putnam (Penguin), 2026. $19. 

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

APPEALS TO: SOME

“Princess” Gie Gie has grown up and had experiences that have taken her all over the world.  But, she still dreams about finding a way to help the women in her home African village to have better access to water. 

It has been 10 years since the first Water Princess picture book. Verde brings Georgie Badiel’s story full circle and gives us back matter about Georgie’s foundation which works to bring clean water to villages just like hers. It has been a long time since I read the first picture book; I am glad for the continuation of Georgie’s story. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

A Riddle of Eels by Nicholas Day and Corey R. Tabor. - ADVISABLE

A Riddle of Eels by Nicholas Day and Corey R. Tabor. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Random House Studio, 2026. $20. 9780593905692

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

A Riddle of Eels blends science and history to illuminate a real-life mystery that has puzzled great minds from Aristotle to Freud.  Learn about the things science knows about Eels and the things that they have not yet discovered.

A Riddle of Eels is perfect for inquisitive readers and fans of weird-but-true stories.  I enjoyed the humorous text and expressive, bright illustrations.

PGPowers

Through the Telescope: Mae Jemison Dreams of Space by Charles R. Smith Jr. and Evening Monteiro. - ADVISABLE

Through the Telescope: Mae Jemison Dreams of Space by Charles R. Smith Jr. and Evening Monteiro. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Orchard Books (Scholastic), 2025. $14. 9781338815290

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

APPEALS TO: SOME

As a girl, Mae Jemison was always fascinated with space.  :She would spend a lot of time looking through her telescope and In 1992, she was the first black female astronaut to travel to space.  While teaching some space facts, Through the Telescope leads us on a beautiful journey through space.

Through the Telescope is an enjoyable picture book.  With stunning pictures and just a few sentences per page, Mae's love of space is brought to life.  I liked that throughout the book Mae's clothing kept changing to look more and more like a space suit.  Facts about Mae's life can be found in the back.

Tracie, Elementary School Librarian

Do Bees Pee? by Linda Booth Sweeney and Ariel Rutland - ADVISABLE

Do Bees Pee? by Linda Booth Sweeney and Ariel Rutland. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Harper, 2026. $20. 9780063264632

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Subtitle: The Curious and Amazing Ways Nature Avoids Poo-llution

Sweeney explores several animals and the way that their scat is used in nature. The words and illustrations seem simplistic enough that this would make a great board book.  There are added details for each creature and some back matter. 

Little children are pretty poo-oriented.  The end of the book includes a poo song, celebrating the many different words we use for animal feces - odd, but could be catchy.

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. 

Pack Ice Paradise (Tiny Habitats) by Amy Hevron - ADVISABLE

Pack Ice Paradise (Tiny Habitats) by Amy Hevron. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Beach Lane (Simon), 2026. $20. 9781665962698

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

When the sun warms the Arctic ice, the thinnest ice starts breaking apart and becomes pack ice - shimmering ice islands that harbor life all around them. 

Hevron simply shows how important pack ice is to the few creatures who live in the Arctic regions. The back matter talks a bit about how climate change is affecting the fragile ecosystem that is centered on pack ice. If I were teaching elementary school, I would want all of the Tiny Habitats books. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The National Baseball Hall of Fame's Big Baseball Activity Book - OPTIONAL

The National Baseball Hall of Fame's Big Baseball Activity Book, 128 pages. NON-FICTION. becker&mayer! kids (The Quarto Publishing Group), 2026. $13.

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

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY

The National Baseball Hall of Fame published an activity book all about – you’ve guessed it – baseball. Organized into nine themed sections, one for each inning in a game, the reader gets tidbits of baseball trivia along with a ton of fun activities like mazes, crosswords, coloring pages, word scrambles, and more.

This activity book is perfect for your budding baseball enthusiast. I learned some fun sports trivia that I didn’t know before and the activities look engaging for the upper elementary / younger teen age group. There is not much use for this activity book in the classroom library, but could be a fun addition to a doctor’s waiting room or indoor recess/rainy day kit.

Kiera Beddes, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

 

Down in the Blue Ocean by Gianumberto Accinetti and Giulia Zaffaroni - ADVISABLE

Down in the Blue Ocean by Gianumberto Accinetti and Giulia Zaffaroni (translated by Nanette McGuiness). NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Orca, 2026. $30. 9781459843318

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

Accinetti, supported by Zaffaroni, takes us from the surface of the ocean down to its deepest depths, meeting a few of the animals that inhabit each zone along the way. 

The text is advanced enough that it works best for older students. Even though it looks like a picture book, it is rich in information about the different oceanic spheres.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Cristiano Rinaldo by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and Joao Fazenda - ADVISABLE

Cristiano Rinaldo by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and Joao Fazenda. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHY. Fences Lincoln (Quarto), 2026. $16. 9781805701712

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Meet Cristiano Rinaldo, soccer superstar.

Young fans of soccer and rinaldo in particular will enjoy this short, but well-written, beginning biography.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Chasing the Moon by Susan Hayes and Anna Stead. - ADVISABLE

Chasing the Moon by Susan Hayes and Anna Stead. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Wide Eyed Editions (Quarto Publishing), 2026. $30. 9781805700197

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Chasing the Moon is a captivating Journey through the Moon's mysteries and magic.  The reader will learn about our connection with the moon through historical legends and ideas. Learn about the phases of the moon and how it affects the Earth's tides, plants, and animals.

Chasing the Moon explores the Moon through beautiful illustrations and stories.  It's a spellbinding treat for anyone obsessed with all things celestial and lunar.

PGPowers

Honor Flight by Jeff Gottesfeld and Matt Tavares - ADVISABLE

Honor Flight by Jeff Gottesfeld and Matt Tavares. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick, 2026. $19. 9781536230154

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

An elderly man receives a call one day saying that he has been picked for an Honor Flight - trip to Washington D.C. to see the war memorials and other sites along with other vets. Everything has been paid for, including a personal escort for each veteran.

A lovely book and a great companion to Gottesfeld and Tavares’ Twenty-One Steps  Have it on hand for any military celebration day.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

William Shakespears by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and Andrea Stegmaier - ADVISABLE

William Shakespeare (Little People, Big Dreams) by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and Andrea Stegmaier. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHY. Frances Lincoln (Quarto), 2026. $16. 9781805701675

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

Vegara give us a succinct, but measured look at the life of Shakespeare. I am always amazed at how well she distills the lives she writes about. Were I a 1st or 2nd grade teacher, I would pair this with other books in the series about authors. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Encyclopedia of Fungi by Jules Howard and Namasri Niumin - ADVISABLE

Encyclopedia of Fungi by Jules Howard and Namasri Niumin. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Wide Eyed Editions  (Quarto Publishing), 2026. $23. 9781836008804

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Encyclopedia of Fungi is a reference book that introduces readers to over 300 diverse fungal species from around the globe.  It highlights weird, colorful, and unique organisms ranging from glowing toadstools and giant puffballs to zombie fungi. It also includes helpful tips, a glossary, and an index for young nature explorers.

Howard makes this reference very interesting for those who want to know more about the different kinds of mushrooms, and which ones are poisonous.  Niumim's gouache illustrations are beautiful, graphic, and interesting.

PGPowers

Think Big: Secrets of Bees by Ben Hoare and Nina Chakrabarti. - ADVISABLE

Think Big:  Secrets of Bees by Ben Hoare and Nina Chakrabarti. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Nosy Crow, 2025. $20. 9798887772738

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

Secrets of Bees dives into the hive to uncover the intriguing and hidden lives of bees.  Learn through beautiful, fun illustrations and text about how bees have incredible super powers, how they pollinate plants, how they communicate, and how without bees, the world would be a very different place.

Secrets of Bees is intriguing and contains interesting new facts found in short paragraphs under clever, engaging illustrations. It is mostly for older children, but younger children will enjoy the pictures.

PGPowers

It's My Body! : A Book About Body Positivity by Elise Gravel - ESSENTIAL

It's My Body! : A Book About Body Positivity by Elise Gravel. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Chronicle Books, 2026. $19. 9781797239712

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

There are all kinds of bodies. They have different shapes, abilities, and colors. Your body is your best friend and needs to be treated with kindness. Every body needs to be respected too! 

I love Gravel's adorable illustrations! This is an important book about diversity, consent, body-positivity, and kindness. Kids, teens, and adults will benefit from this relatable book.

Rachel, elementary school librarian

Fourteen Ways of Looking at Jellyfish by Carole Boston Weatherford and Bagram Ibatoulline - ADVISABLE

Fourteen Ways of Looking at Jellyfish by Carole Boston Weatherford and Bagram Ibatoulline. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick Press, 2026. $20. 9781536235074

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

Fourteen Ways of Looking at Jellyfish celebrates these extraordinary marine animals which have no brains, hearts, or lungs and are 95 percent water, yet mesmerize us with their graceful movements and translucent bodies. Learn about jellyfish that glow in otherworldly light.  Learn about jellyfish with deadly venom, and other amazing abilities.

Weatherford brings poetry and playfulness to natural science as she shares her fascination with jellyfish.  I loved Ibatoulline's illustrations that blend shimmering bioluminescence to stylish folklore and myth and portray the mysterious jellyfish.

PGPowers

Pretty Close but Not the Same by Meg Fleming and Steph Stilwell - ADVISABLE

Pretty Close but Not the Same by Meg Fleming, pictures by Steph Stilwell. NON-FICTION, PICTURE BOOK Beach Lane (Simon), 2026 $20 9781665978996 

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

How do you tell the difference between a tortoise and a turtle, or a monkey and an ape? A dolphin and a porpoise, a leopard and a tiger, and 3 other sets of commonly confused animals? 

I love the book layout. An illustration with their names, another 2-page spread of what they have in common and what is different. Simple, not a lot of descriptive text, and . . . It rhymes! So very cute. 

Lisa Librarian 

Poo Pile on the Prairie by Amy Hevron - ESSENTIAL

Poo Pile on the Prairie by Amy Hevron. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Beach Lane (Simon), 2026. $20. 9781665935029

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Even something as small as a pile of bison scat can support an ecosystem necessary to the health of the prairie.

The Tiny Habits are so well written. Hevron makes each one a small bite that teaches a lot. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Sing the 50 United States by Dr. Seuss - ESSENTIAL

Sing the 50 United States by Dr. Seuss. PICTURE BOOK Random House, 2026. $20. 9798217228560 

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

The Cat in the Hat, along with a couple of little cats, is putting together a map puzzle of the United States and making up a song along the way. 

What? A new book by Dr. Seuss??? Yep. The manuscript was discovered in several boxes in San Diego's Geisel Library just in time for the 250th. A fun read - no tune (yet), but all the states are there, and it's very Dr. Seuss, with fun plays on words and cute illustrated interactions with the other characters and the puzzle pieces. A must-buy - who knows if we'll ever find another unpublished manuscript of his again. 

Lisa Librarian