On Our Bikes by Dan Saks and Joao Fazenda - ADVISABLE

On Our Bikes by Dan Saks and Joao Fazenda. PICTURE BOOK. Penguin, 2026. $19. 9798217142798

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

A wide variety of people ride a wide variety of bikes in this ode to classic, fumeless transportation.

A great fun source for proponents of the Bike Bus concept (https://bikebus.world/), or community riding in general. The variety of bikes and people are sure to represent everyone in your community. The text breezes along like the wind through your hair.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Sunrise Sail by Charles Trevino and Maribel Lechuga - ADVISABLE

Sunrise Sail by Charles Trevino and Maribel Lechuga. PICTURE BOOK. Charlesbridge, 2026. $18. 9781623546151

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

A boy and his grandfather set sail for an early morning sail and an all day adventure.

The author only uses words starting with “S”, so each page only has a few words on it. The story isn’t really about the sailing, but about the adventure of the whole day. Do I believe that the dog could accomplish what it did? No - but I won’t give it away. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Tractors on the Go! by Michelle Robinson and Jez Tuya - ADVISABLE

Tractors on the Go! by Michelle Robinson and Jez Tuya. PICTURE BOOK. Henry Holt (Macmillan), 2026. $18. 9781250427342

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Meet all sorts of tractors and farming equipment. 

The illustrations are fun to look at - tractors and doggy drivers are a sure hit.  I know my grandson will like looking at every page. The words are highly expressive - those with honed drama skills will enjoy it a lot. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Lost and Found (Little Blue Truck) by Alice Schertle and John Joseph - OPTIONAL

Lost and Found (Little Blue Truck) by Alice Schertle and John Joseph. PICTURE BOOK.

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

APPEALS TO: SOME

Blue and Toad are loading hay into the truck bed, but now Blue can’t find Toad. He asks the animals around the farm to help him look.

Fans of The Little Blue Truck will like this little mystery with its rhyming text and illustrations still in McMurry’s style.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

My Subway Runs by James Gladstone and Pierre Pratt - ADVISABLE

My Subway Runs by James Gladstone and Pierre Pratt. PICTURE BOOK. Groundwood Books, 2026. $20. 9781773067544

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

APPEALS TO: MANY

A boy journeys on a subway into the city so his mom can look for a job. Told from a child's perspective, we experience everything he does, from descending to the platform, feeling the wind as the subway rushes by, even noticing a homeless man that the adults pretend not to notice. The colorful illustrations move the story along, immersing us in the experience as the boy holds his mother's hand, safe, but with a child's curiosity in the world around him.

I love this book for Pratt's charming illustrations and the immersive experience that many children may not have if they don't live in a big city. The celebration of public transit calls to mind "Last Stop on Market Street" in using the child's perspective to experience the world around us and a commonplace ride to many adults becomes a fascinating journey. The boy and his mother present white, but as a subway in a big city, many ethnicities are present.

Heather Robinson 

Construction Site: Firefight by Sherri Duskey Rinker and AG Ford. - ADVISABLE

Construction Site: Firefight by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrated by AG Ford. PICTURE BOOK. Chronicle Books, 2026. $19. 9781797226590

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

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

It is night time at a construction site.  Suddenly a storm appears and starts a fire.  Fire fighting vehicles come to the rescue! Can the firefighting vehicles and construction vehicles work together to fight the fire?

Rinker is up to thirteen books in her construction site series now!  I think this book would appeal to children who like machines.  Every vehicle has a face and the illustrations are very eye-catching.  Even though the illustrations are cute, the book also teaches facts about fighting fires.  It is a rhyming book with minimal words on a page.

Tracie, Elementary School Librarian

Trusty Bus by Elizabeth Weiss Verdick and Jeff Harter - OPTIONAL

Trusty Bus by Elizabeth Weiss Verdick, illustrated by Jeff Harter. PICTURE BOOK. Simon and Schuster, 2025. $20. 9781665948494

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

APPEALS TO: SOME

Trusty the Bus is proud of the hard work he does to carry the children to and from school each day.

I wasn’t sure if this book was supposed to rhyme or not. Most of the time it had rhymes and slant rhymes going on, without any kind of consistent rhythm. Other times it just didn’t. While the story is sweet, the choppy sentence structure made it clunky.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS