The Littlest Christmas Tree by Jane Chapman - NO

The Littlest Christmas Tree by Jane Chapman. BOARD BOOK. Tiger Tales, 2026 (2024 pb). $10. 9781664352308

BUYING ADVISORY: NOT RECOMMENDED

A little bear and his bear dad are getting ready for Christmas.  Along with other forest animals they find cute little trees and celebrate the holiday season.

As adorable as the illustrations are, I can not recommend this book. First of all it is a reprint of a picture book, so it is very wordy on every page. Second, it comes a whole year of time, so it is trying to do too much. Third, the bears dig up a tree from the forest (good), replant it after they are done (good), but then they dig it up again the next Christmas! BAD! SO BAD! Leave that poor tree in the ground after you use it once. I just can’t. And I haven't even mentioned how put out the bear dad seems in every illustration - he only smiles four times in the whole book. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

We’re Going on a Parranda! by Mayra Cuevas and Monica Paola Rodriguez - NO

We’re Going on a Parranda! by Mayra Cuevas and Monica Paola Rodriguez. PICTURE BOOK. Beach Lane (Simon), 2026. $20. 9781665966368

BUYING ADVISORY: NOT RECOMMENDED

A little girl is going to the all night parranda with her family.  As she listens to the different instruments played by the participants, she tries to find an instrument and rhythm of her own. 

The illustrations are full of life and joy. I was disappointed, however, that the parranda is only explained in the back matter - I was hoping for a new book about a community celebration. Also, the text seems to want to rhyme - some of the sentence constructions are a little convoluted in that way.  UT - while a few might be considered slant rhymes, most of them aren’t even close to rhyming. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

It’s Almost Time For Thanksgiving! by Maisha Oso and Tom Knight - NO

It’s Almost Time For Thanksgiving! by Maisha Oso and Tom Knight. PICTURE BOOK. McElderry (Simon), 2026. $11. 9798347108015

BUYING ADVISORY: NOT RECOMMENDED

Follow a boy as he packs up Halloween and gets ready for the next holiday.

I did not like the rhyming scheme of the text and from there it just went downhill. One page talks about going to pick out your turkey - showing live turkeys - which any savvy kid knows has to be killed and plucked.  And the twist of confusing one holiday for another didn’t help matters. I already feel bad for Thanksgiving because it doesn’t have many fun picture books and it is usually overlooked in the run from Halloween to Christmas.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

School Spirits by Charlotte Gunnufson and Rebecca Crane - NO

School Spirits by Charlotte Gunnufson and Rebecca Crane. PICTURE BOOK. Atheneum (Simon), 2026. $20. 9781665964517

BUYING ADVISORY: NOT RECOMMENDED

On the first day of school you worry about a lot of things, but not that school is haunted.  When you find proof what should you do?  Gather your friends and train the ghosts to be respectful and helpful.

I just don’t understand this book at all. Someone please explain. I don't know why you would worry that your school is haunted on a perfectly ordinary day, nor do I then understand how you and your friends are going to train the ghosts to keep things clean and play with all of the kids.  The rhyming text, trying to make everything feel light and cherry doesn’t help either.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Be the Acorn by Jason Douglas Griffin - NO

Be the Acorn by Jason Douglas Griffin. PICTURE BOOK. Roaring Brook (Macmillan), SEPTEMBER 2026. $20. 9781250417220

BUYING ADVISORY: NOT RECOMMENDED

When his family tells Choko Choko that he is too small to help them look for a new home, he is unhappy and then angry and then frustrated. Great HaHa helps him work through his feelings.

I feel like the author doesn't know anything about the relative sizes of squirrels or acorns, nor anything about the time it takes to grow an oak tree. The color palette is monochromatic and dull.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

The Selfish Sister by David Sedaris and Bob Staake - NO

The Selfish Sister by David Sedaris and Bob Staake. PICTURE BOOK. Toon Books (Astra), MARCH 2026. $19. 9781662665752

BUYING ADVISORY: NOT RECOMMENDED

The family finds it impossible to deal with the sister of the family, who claims absolutely everything is hers. 

The payoff or lesson is so late in the book, it might as well not be there. I also don’t like the rhyming text - reading it out loud is too sing-songy. I don’t mind the two LGBT references, but they feel forced, like they are there to make a point. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Seven Million Steps by Derrick Barnes and Christian Gregory and Frank Morrison. - NO

Seven Million Steps by Derrick Barnes and Christian Gregory,  illustrated by Frank Morrison. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Amistad (Harper), 2026. $20. 9780063357525

BUYING ADVISORY: NOT RECOMMENDED

In 1976 Dick Gregory ran from California to New York to bring awareness to the plight of poor, hungry people around the country. 

Barnes and Gregory wrote the book in an odd second person voice that made the story feel remote and impersonal. I couldn’t find my way into the story.

Gregory is Black.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Bob and Dob: a tale of tattling by Sean E. Avery - NO

Bob and Dob: a tale of tattling by Sean E. Avery. PICTURE BOOK. Candlewick, 2025. $19. 9781536236040

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - NO

APPEALS TO: SOME

Bob is an adventurous young bird, but his brother Dob is always telling on him to their mother. Mother tells Dob to stop tattling on Bob, but when Bob flies off and gets into real trouble, Dob’s story skills are needed to rescue him.

I’m torn in my feelings about this - when a child does something dangerous or breaks something, a parent wants to know. But also, a little sibling who tells a parent about every slight infraction becomes annoying really fast. I don’t think we want to teach children to lie for each other or to cover up a real problem. Plus Bob needed to learn to tell the truth when he broke that vase. I think this sends the wrong message.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Ten Little Witches: a counting storybook by Amanda Sobotka, illustrations by James Newman Gray - NO

Ten Little Witches: a counting storybook by Amanda Sobotka, illustrations by James Newman Gray. BOARD BOOK. Applesauce Press, 2025. $15. 9781400346547

BUYING ADVISORY: NO

APPEALS TO: SOME

Witches count down from ten to one as they soar through various Halloween scenes. 

The style of the witches doesn’t fit with the other illustrations and they do not work with the other characters in the illustrations to tell a good story.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Ady and Me by Rich Pink, illustrated by Sara Rhys - NO

Ady and Me by Rich Pink, illustrated by Sara Rhys. PICTURE BOOK. Words and Pictures, 2025. $19. 9780711293052

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - NO

APPEALS TO: SOME

A young girl named Sophie has a secret that lives in her brain.  She calls him Ady.  The doctors told her dad that it is ADHD.  Ady contributes to her being late to school.  Sophie's teacher is not very understanding.  In school,  Ady wants to be friends with everyone, doodles on the page, spills paint, and gets distracted during math.  Sophie’s teacher takes her to the principal.  What will the principal say?

Ady and Me starts out with wonderful insight into the brain of someone with ADHD, but then takes a wrong turn.  The Principal is wonderfully sympathetic to Sophie and her ADHD, but then fires the teacher.  I don't think that this is a message that should be supported. 

PGPowers

How To Be Romance with Bluey and Bingo - NO

How To Be Romance with Bluey and Bingo by Penguin Young Readers. BOARD BOOK. Penguin, 2024. $10. 9780593755105

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - NOT RECOMMENDED

Bluey and Bingo are practicing the art of romance. They need to clean themselves up, fix their hair, and do their nails. They finish up by eating at a fancy restaurant. 

This is a thumbs down book. First of all, why would you write a book about romance for a 1-3 year old? Secondly, they do not even use correct English. Here is the sentence: "And there is nothing more romance than eating in a fancy restaurant". Maybe it's part of the dog thing, but not ok in my book.

MOMMAC

A Pocket Full of Rocks by Kristin Mahoney and E.B. Goodale - NO

A Pocket Full of Rocks by Kristin Mahoney and E.B. Goodale. PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2025. $19. 9780593428542

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - NOT RECOMMENDED

APPEALS TO: SOME

A child gathers rocks in his pocket during the winter, petals in the spring, shells in the summer, and acorns in the fall.  His family tells him why he shouldn’t, but he continues for his own reasons, including using each item for the fairies his imagination finds in the forest.

The pudgy androgynous fairies were an odd choice for me, especially since they were naked in the winter, but used blankets in the spring and hats in the fall. I didn’t find the fairy illustrations delightful, as I usually do, instead they were off-putting. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Turkey vs Santa by Todd Tarpley and Giovanni Abeille - NO

Turkey vs Santa by Todd Tarpley, illustrated by Giovanni Abeille. PICTURE BOOK. Little Brown, 2024. $11. 9780316574556

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - NOT RECOMMENDED

APPEALS TO: FEW

Thanksgiving is incensed - just as his big parade is getting ready to go, all of the stores are already decorating for Christmas.  Santa, however, thinks it is funny and just what that turkey deserves. 

I did not like the fight between Santa and Turkey - it felt much too petty and violent - spiteful, instead of light-hearted.  While Mrs. Claus swoops in and makes everyone see reason and behave, I felt too raw by the wickedness to enjoy the happy ending. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, ML

The Bees of Notre Dame by Meghan P. Browne and E.B. Goodale - NO

The Bees of Notre Dame by Meghan P. Browne, illustrated by E.B. Goodale. PICTURE BOOK Random House Studio, 2023 $19. 9780593374566 

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - NOT RECOMMENDED 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW 

-- 

I was very disappointed by the lack of illustrations and in-text information about the bees of Notre Dame during and after the fire. All of the interesting information is stuffed into the back matter instead. What a waste of a good idea for a picture book! As much as a I like the illustrations, having the fate of the bees after the fire reduced to two pictures is a travesty! Would some of author please write this story? 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Legacy of an Immigrant by Maria Vezzetti Matson - NO

Legacy of an Immigrant: Four Generations of Flying by Maria Vezzetti Matson, 157 pages. Polenta Publishing, 2022. 9780983199052. $20

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: NOT RECOMMENDED

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

When Eugene receives a phone call from someone wanting to interview him about his family’s history of flying, the call brings up many memories for him - especially two momentous days around his grandfather’s funeral back when Eugene was just 13yo.

Matson’s flashbacks generate more flashbacks, so I was in an episode of Inception - couldn’t track which time period I was supposed to be. The writing is lackluster and uninspiring. If I gave up half way through, I can imagine how far a student would get. Maybe better time cues would have cleared up the confusion.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS

It’s a RHAP, Cat by Lee Y. Miao - NO

It’s a RHAP, Cat by Lee Y. Miao, 262 pages. Clear Fork Publishing, 2023. $14. 

Content: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: NOT RECOMMENDED 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW 

When 12yo Cat and her friends see Raphael’s Portrait of a Lady with a Unicorn, not she, but everyone around her see how strongly Cat resembles the girl in the painting. When her school announces participation in a Renaissance history and art project (Rhap) contest, Cat sees this as her chance to delve into family and world history to see if she somehow related to this unknown lady. And maybe she can accomplish two things - beat Annaka, who seems to win everything, and be admitted into the honors history class. 

Add an improbably last minute trip to Italy for hands on research and a deux ex machina letter that arrives just minutes before the contest judging. If the cover doesn’t turn off students, the average writing will. The tortured Rhap acronym and the pun-ish title are eyerollers rather than funny. I didn’t read the first book in the series, so I was confused about the series name (Ellie and Co.), when Ellie is a rare character on page. 

 Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS 

What Were You Expecting? by Cameron Spires and Grace Cho - NO

What Were You Expecting? : First Words for New Parents by Cameron Spires illustrated by Grace Cho BOARD BOOK (Pre-K) Kids Can Press. 2023. $15. 9781525305795 

BUYING ADVISORY: NOT RECOMMENDED (Alludes to drinking - parents drink as many bottles as baby, back cover alludes to a swear word - says "Son of a...") 

Pictures for baby, words for you. Colorful illustrations are accompanied by funny anecdotes about new parenthood. For example, an owl thinks day and night are reversed, just like baby. Other joys of parenthood highlighted include crying, blowouts, daycare, and financial stress. I enjoyed reading this book, and found it quite funny. I would definitely purchase it for a baby shower gift. However, it does not belong in a school library. There are allusions to drinking, and there is an illustration of a wine bottle on the cover. 

Rachel, Elementary School Librarian 

My Uncle is Coming Tomorrow by Sebastián Santana Camargo - OPTIONAL

My Uncle is Coming Tomorrow by Sebastián Santana Camargo, translated by Elisa Amado. PICTURE BOOK Greystone, 2022. $17. 9781778400063 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - NO, HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW 

A child is told his uncle is coming to visit and he waits, his whole life. 

My Uncle is Coming Tomorrow is more about the afterward than the picture book. *Spoiler* the uncle never arrives because he is one of the "disappeared" from the Cold War or organized crime. The illustrations are simple line drawings. I think the subject matter is more appropriate for an older audience, maybe a high school class talking about political terror. 

Lisa Librarian

So Not Ghoul by Karen Yin, illustrated by Bonnie Lui - NO

So Not Ghoul by Karen Yin, illustrated by Bonnie Lui. PICTURE BOOK. Page Street, 2022. $19. 9781645675570

BUYING ADVISORY: NOT RECOMMENDED

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

The girl ghost is not happy with her new haunting assignment - the local school. Not because of the kids, but because of the mean ghoulmates who roam the halls and make fun of her robes that she inherited from her ghost ancestors. Is changing her outfit, forbidden by her ancestors, or changing her attitude the way to change her circumstances?

I was looking forward to a Halloween picture book, but translating the mean girl/fashion dilemma to ghosts didn’t work for me. There was no chill or thrill to it - just an awkward try at a familiar problem in a new setting. I do like Lui’s illustrative style.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS

Homegrown by Jeffrey Burton and Andres Landazabal - NO

Homegrown by Jeffrey Burton, illustrated by Andres Landazabal. BOARD BOOK. $8. 9781665942713

BUYING ADVISORY: NOT RECOMMENDED

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

A board book celebrating life in general.

OK - the board book audience is maybe up to 5 years old. And usually before they enter school.  I can’t tell if this is celebrating preschool kids (who don’t usually ride skateboards or wander the neighborhood in packs without an adult nearby) or homeschooled kids, who at that point aren’t going to want to read a board book. 

I can’t understand the purpose, audience, or existence of this book.

Cindy Mitchell, Library Teacher, MLS