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

The Magic Bedtime Train Ride illustrated by Lauren Degraaf - OPTIONAL

The Magic Bedtime Train Ride illustrated by Lauren Degraaf. PICTURE BOOK. Frances Lincoln (Quarto), 2026. $25. 9781805703273

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

The music is dreamy as the train rides through the night to take its passengers to Dreamland.

I don’t understand the order of the pages. It starts with the passengers snuggling into bed, but as they get closer to Dreamland they start eating and dancing - the opposite of what you should do to get ready to go to sleep. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Hello, Ocean! by Corinna Luyken - ADVISABLE

Hello, Ocean! by Corinna Luyken. PICTURE BOOK. Rocky Pond Books  (Penguin), 2026. $19. 9780593625248

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

A young exuberant girl takes a joyful trip to the beach with her parents.  She greets the ocean.  She greets everything she encounters.  What should she do when she discovers a pile of marine debris and garbage?

Hello Ocean! is a cute story celebrating the wonders of the beach and ocean from a young girl's eyes.  Luyken's illustrations are unique and capture the breezy, colorful coastal atmosphere.

PGPowers

This is How to Spot Animals by Aline Portman - ADVISABLE

This is How to Spot Animals by Aline Portman. PICTURE BOOK. Eerdmans Books For Young Readers, 2025. $19. 9780802856616

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Bear wants us not to move because he is out in nature trying to spot animals.  One day he hopes to find a rare red-breasted goose.  But today he has no luck. As Bear is telling us how to spot animals, and that sadly there is nothing to see, readers might be able to spy things themselves.

Portman uses humor and irony to delight readers.  I was entertained by Portman's charming illustrations.

PGPowers

Virginia Wolff by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and Audrey Day - ADVISABLE

Virginia Wolff by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and Audrey Day. PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHY. Frances Lincoln (Quarto), 2026. $16. 9781836007210

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Virginia WOlff was born in London to a family which loved art and literature. When three important family members died within a few years, Virginia and her siblings moved. There she met her future husband, who was there to support Virginia through her mental challenges and cheered her on as she wrote her famous novels.

I like Vegara’s honesty about Wolff’s mental challenges and about the topic of her book Orlando, which is about an LGBT character. Excellent work in a small package.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Amal Clooney by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and Yas Imamura - ADVISABLE

Amal Clooney by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and Yas Imamura. PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHY. Frances Lincoln (Quarto), 2026. $16. 9781805701910

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

From her childhood in Lebanon through her growth into an international lawyer and to the foundations that she has built with her actor husband, meet Amal Clooney, champion for women’s rights and human rights in general.. 

While simple, the Little People, Big Dreams series does an excellent job of teasing out important times and themes in people’s lives.  I especially love when they tackle someone, like Amal Clooney, who probably wouldn’t have a full length biography written for children. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Incredibly Fast and Not at All Fun by Tadgh Bentley - ESSENTIAL

Incredibly Fast and Not at All Fun by Tadgh Bentley. PICTURE BOOK. Atheneum (Simon), 2026. $20. 9781665971409

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

When Bear invents a quick way to get from his home to his beehives, he doesn’t realize that all of the other forest creatures would want to ride it again and again and again. Bear needs to come up with a plan to make his creation less appealing. 

I love Bear’s cluelessness when it comes to the popularity of his invention. Especially as he adds more to it to discourage riders, which just encourages more animals to ride. Beware - young ones will want to ride a roller coaster afterwards!

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

A Not So Perfect Start by Trudy Ludwig and Maribel Lechuga - ADVISABLE

A Not So Perfect Start by Trudy Ludwig and Maribel Lechuga. PICTURE BOOK. Random House Children’s Books (Penguin Random House), 2026. $19. 9798217028672.

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Thea is nervous about starting school and she wants everything to be perfect. Her teacher Ms. Howard helps her to see that mistakes can lead to the best learning moments and even the start of something better than you might expect!

This is the perfect book to read at the beginning of school and helps set the tone for a collaborative and positive classroom environment. I thought the illustrations were adorable and I felt it perfectly captured the chaos (and creativity) in a younger classroom.

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

The Buddy System by Sam Wedelich - ADVISABLE

The Buddy System by Sam Wedelich. PICTURE BOOK. Knopf (Random House), 2026. $19. 9780593906019

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

The class is on their way to the museum and everyone has been assigned a buddy.  But what if your buddy doesn’t want to be with you?

Wedelich gives us a look into the intricacies of being assigned a buddy. While I wouldn’t advocate for kazoos in museums, I do like the interplay between the two buddies. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

I Need Space by Molly Harris and Jon Corby - ESSENTIAL

I Need Space by Molly Harris and Jon Corby. PICTURE BOOK. McElderry (Simon), 2026. $20. 9781665980579

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

Rocco isa  rocket that loves all of the different ways he can play in space.  Except, when other space things get pushy and greedy and noisy, sometimes he needs to take off to the edges where nothing else is, so that he can relax and refresh and feel more like himself again.

Lovely way to teach about needing a place and time to regroup without being preachy.  The back matter is a nice mix of space facts and giving yourself space facts. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Wake Up, Poppyville! by Vikki Chu - OPTIONAL

Wake Up, Poppyville! by Vikki Chu. PICTURE BOOK. Alfred A. Knopf (Random House), 2026. $19. 9798217124794

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

APPEALS TO: SOME

Two travelers arrive in Poppyville, a town where midnight is morning, milk is blueberry flavored, and the residents are wonderfully strange. It's the grand opening of Delilah's toy shop and everyone is going.

Wake Up, Poppyville!  is a quirky tale with not much direction or storyline.  I did enjoy the imaginative characters and objects, and the unique art style of cut paper and limited palette.

PGPowers

Home Builder Hazel by Linda Ashman and Nancy Carpenter - ADVISABLE

Home Builder Hazel by Linda Ashman and Nancy Carpenter. PICTURE BOOK. Astra Publishing House, 2026. $19. 9781662620829.

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

What does it take to build a home from scratch? Follow along with Home Builder Hazel as she leads her construction crew over several months building a home from the ground up with this rhyming picture book.

Can I just say that I love that this book featured a woman leading a construction crew? The informational material in the back featured some statistics of women in the construction field nationwide in the U.S., as well as some construction specific vocabulary. I also really liked that the construction crew faced different problems (as happens any time you build anything) and Hazel always had an uplifting problem-solving approach: “We’ll figure it out…We always do!”

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

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

Annie Leibovitz by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and Clare Owen - ADVISABLE

Annie Leibovitz by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and Clare Owen. PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHY. Frances Lincoln (Quarto), 2026. $16. 9781805702900

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Annie Leibovitz was born into a family that moved a lot, but she discovered early how much she loved art.  And when she was introduced to photography, her passion exploded. Over the years she has worked for several major magazines, honing a talent recognized the world over.

After reading one of Vegara’s biographies, I always feel like I have a great grasp on the subject’s history and passion. The series is such a great mix of classic, historical, and modern figures. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Duck the Halls by Laura Lavoie and Teresa Martinez - OPTIONAL

Duck the Halls by Laura Lavoie and Teresa Martinez. PICTURE BOOK. Doubleday (Random House), 2026. $19. 9798217117604

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

The animals and humans on the street are decorating for Christmas, but Chicken is sick and needs some cheer.  All of the neighborhood bands together to help their neighbor in need.

While I understand that this is part of a series about Duck, Duck, and Goose, the combination of humans and anthropomorphic animals seems an odd mix, when the book could have easily had just humans in it spreading cheer. Especially because the action seems to take place in a very human neighborhood, not on a farm. The rhyming text was okay, but i’m not a big fan of constant rhyming in read alouds. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

What does Santa Want for Christmas? by Sahar Shams - OPTIONAL

What does Santa Want for Christmas? by Sahar Shams. PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2026. $19. 9798217031085

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Young Dorim decides that he is going to ask Santa what he wants for Christmas. When he gets an answer, he and his dog brainstorm some ideas until they hit upon what they believe to be the perfect solution.

I tried to channel my inner 5-8 year old to understand and appreciate Dorim’s gift idea, but I just couldn’t do it.  I don’t get it.  Which is incredibly sad, because I really like the illustrations,  

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

My Pony Wonder by Jessica Milo and Ramona Kaulitzki. - ADVISABLE

My Pony Wonder by Jessica Milo and Ramona Kaulitzki. PICTURE BOOK. Random House Studios, 2026. $19. 9798217031375

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

A young girl whistles to her pony.  Her pony runs over and gets a sweet apple.  The pony nuzzles and licks the young girl.  Several kids assemble with their ponies for a ride down the trail.  They experience Thumping hooves and other sounds made by horse and rider.  The young girl's pony stops suddenly.  There is something in the bushes ahead.  What could it be?

Milo writes a bouncy, lyrical, rhyming story about friendship and trust between a child and an animal, and about exploring the outdoors.  I really enjoyed Kaulitzki's beautiful illustrations.

The girl is white in the illustrations.

PGPowers

Yeti is Not Ready for Game Over by Leigh Ann Carter - ADVISABLE

Yeti is Not Ready for Game Over by Leigh Ann Carter. PICTURE BOOK. Random House Children's Books (Penguin Random House), 2026. $19. 9780593808108.

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

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Yeti has a new video game and she wants to win! However, real life keeps getting in the way. When she loses big time, her dad encourages her to take a break. Can Yeti step away from her game and enjoy life outside of her screen?

I thought it was a cute story and an easy way to remind kids to listen to their bodies when they need a break from certain types of screen time. It could be a nice addition to any collection about digital citizenship or digital wellness.

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes 

Jingle: How the Littlest Reindeer Earned Her Bells by MacKenzie Cadenhead and Erin Kraan - ADVISABLE

Jingle: How the Littlest Reindeer Earned Her Bells by MacKenzie Cadenhead and Erin Kraan. PICTURE BOOK. Random House, 2026. $19. 9798217120598

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Jingle is not the youngest reindeer, but she is the smallest. Each Christmas Eve, young reindeer compete in three tasks to earn their magic flying bells so that they can help pull Santa’s sleigh. Being so small, the other competitors think she has no chance at all.

Jingle is adorable and Santa’s words to her are kind and uplifting. For me this is a new Christmas classic.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS