I catalog hundreds of new picture books each year, and I read as many of them as I can. Unfortunately, I can’t review them all, but I can share them. Below are a few recent titles. (Summaries have been taken directly from the books whenever possible.)

While exploring the wilds of the kitchen, Buddy and Earl see wondrous sights, make delicious discoveries and even encounter a couple of unusual monsters.

One summer in Brooklyn during the 1930s, a young hearing boy and his deaf parents take a trip to Coney Island, where they enjoy the rides, the food, and the sights.

Dario, a boy from Brazil, makes friends with a young right whale while spending time on the beaches of Cape Cod.

A boy tries to explain to his mother how the bear at their door got from his cave in the forest all the way to an eleventh-floor apartment.

A hapless skunk, tied to a balloon, floats past buildings, construction equipment, a zoo full of animals, and more. Who will help him get down?

A girl and her dog conquer their fears of the noisy city while strengthening their bond with one another.

Youngsters awaken in the morning with the belief that they are the greatest little ones in their world, whether  human child, eagle chick, or whale calf.

When the new house needs fixing up, a brother and sister accompany their father on a trip to the hardware store to find the tools and materials needed to get the job done.

An adopted child has difficulty adjusting to a new life with a new mom, but feels better once he realizes that, even though they look different, his new mom loves him just the way he is. 

A monk in a monastery and a white cat share a quiet existence together (a retelling of the Irish poem Pangur Ban)

Three children discover the wonder of words as the landscape around them transforms.

When a boy’s abuela accuses him of being careless with his beloved Bongo, he devises a trap and catches the toy thief red-handed.

Big or small, near or far, we all need someone to watch over us and keep us safe.

When nature calls, all of the animals rush to the potty. It’s a potty party!

When Froggy, Mom, and Pollywogilina set out for the library, Froggy brings a wheelbarrow to hold all the books he plans to borrow.

On a summer evening, just as the stars blink on, a firefly steps into a flower. Lights flash all around her. How will she find just one flash among so many? 

Greet each morning with joy and embark on daily adventures with intention and confidence.

Malaika’s mother moved to Canada to find a good job, but she hasn’t sent the money she promised for Malaika’s carnival parade costume.

In a place where color ran wild, there lived a girl who was wilder still. Her name was Swatch, and color was her passion.

When the ducks fly south for the winter, Tufty gets left behind.

Everyone in the family has a special animal friend. They all pile in together for a special car ride to meet two new members of their zoo-like family.

I catalog hundreds of new picture books each year, and I read as many of them as I can. Unfortunately, I can’t review them all, but I can share them. Below are a few recent titles. (Summaries have been taken directly from the books whenever possible.)

Through 20 life lessons, Miss Moon imparts her wisdom on how to raise happy, healthy, well-mannered dogs and humans.

Using die-cut pages, the story explores the shapes and colors of an apple tree through the passing of the seasons.

Little Monkey slips from the safety of the tall, green rain forest trees. Will she remember what Papa taught her about how to stay safe?

Sally tries to tell her family that a hippo, a tiger, zebras, and koalas are in their yard, but no one believes her.

While Bear enjoys a day at the beach, Chipmunk does not, but spending time with his good friend Bear makes it all worthwhile. 

Little Why wants horns like Wildebeest, long legs like Giraffe, and spotty fur like Cheetah. Will he learn that he’s special just the way he is?

Tiger and Bear want to play a game of tag, but Lion just wants to finish the painting he’s been working on.

When the whole family gathers together, adventures are sure to follow–rowing down the river, telling ghost stories around the campfire, and learning to fish.

Blanche does not want to go to sleep. She wants to tumble and hop and horse around.

Members of a large group of animals, including a penguin, two rabbits, and a koala, disappear at an alarming rate, but the hungry lion remains.

Peep can’t wait for Egg to hatch. They will have so much fun together! But Egg isn’t quite ready yet.

Sophie and her mother make very special treats for their party, but Sophie worries there won’t be one left for her.

This book encourages kids to pair shapes together to make new forms.

It’s early morning in the jungle, and Little Gorilla is not happy. Someone has woken him up, but who?

Illustrations and rhyming text follow a small group of tadpoles as they undergo a change, from tiny, tailed swimmers to leaping frogs.

Alan comes from a long line of very scary alligators. But what will happen when his big secret gets out?

This variation of the nursery rhyme features a chaotic household of children and pets who live in a shoe, and who know how to repair, remake, reuse, and recycle.

Look for Big Bunny all over town. He passes the museum, the toy store, the library and the construction site.

Explore the wonderful world of cars zipping up and down, fast and slow. Cruise alongside cars of all kinds.

A motley crew comes to the rescue of a dragon in pain, but it’s a clever little girl who saves the day and everyone else.

When Ava and her giant cat run out of things to do, they invent their own games and have a rainy play day that is absolutely purr-fect.

Lucy and her dog, Mr. Barker, find themselves lost in a fairy tale where they meet new friends and find surprises around every turn.

As crickets sing in the breeze, hunting owls watch over the bay, and sea otters doze on the tide, two children on different continents go to bed.

Every day after school, Hannah sees her classmate’s dog, Sugar. Hannah is afraid of dogs. But one day, Sugar goes missing and it’s Hannah who finds him.

Mr. and Mrs. Barleycorn find something unusual growing on their land. And when Mr. Barleycorn decides to bring it inside, he brings the outside along with it.

This story follows the everyday life of two dancers, one a professional ballerina, the other a very young student, both of whom love ballet.

Two mouse friends have two distinctly different uses for leftovers: one builds, the other eats.

Three noisy foxes are always banging and clanging and singing and stomping until one day they decide that it might be nice to move somewhere very quiet for a change. 

Presents animals acting out the verbs made from their names, including hogs hogging, slugs slugging, and others.

A young boy and girl, with very different ideas about what they want to play, face off during a playdate.

Simple, playful haiku offer clues about the animal hiding on he next page.

A mother and son use their imagination to have fun on a rainy day.

After the zoo closes, monkey slips out of his cage to explore the zoo, introducing the reader to the other animals and the idea of opposites.

The little bears pick up their instruments and play a noisy song. But will their lively music wake Big Brown Bear?

Feeling yaaaawny, oh so snorey-snoozy? Time to cuddle up close and snuggle in deep.

Told using just one word, a hungry dog tries everything he can think of to get a TREAT.

When Maisy and her friends have a special day for races and competitions, it’s not about winning or losing–the fun is in playing the games.

This is a rhyming story that encourages children to get outside and play.

A bare bear dons purple hair and leaves a trail of destruction behind him as he goes about his day.

Dylan is the very best and cleverest super-villain in the whole wide world, until he meets Addison Van Malice.

When it comes to new babies, friends, or other special people in your life, it’s very important to let them know just how adorable they are.

Teeny’s mama is stuck in a bucket. Her big, strong brothers rush to save the day, but soon they’re in trouble too. Now it’s up to Teeny to be the hero.

Niko wants Sasha to come play with him in his spaceship, but his sister Posh has other ideas.

In search of writing ideas, an author takes a walk with his dog around the neighborhood.

One day, the children find a bird lying on its side with its eyes closed and no heartbeat.

From the time she wakes at 8 a.m. until the curtain rises at 8 p.m., a prima ballerina’s day is busy, busy, busy with classes, rehearsals and fittings.

A polar bear grieves over the loss of his companion, based on the real-life Gus and Ida of New York’s Central Park Zoo.

Swooping and squawking, flapping and fluttering…birds of all shapes and sizes are celebrated in this tale of extraordinary plumage.

Bo is lonely. So he sets out to find a new friend. And that new friend just happens to be an egg.

A little boy digs, plays, and explores in his garden.

Spring is here and new life is stirring. There is so much for Big Bear to teach her cub as they leave their den and step into the forest.

An update of the classic folk song Old MacDonald, featuring farm vehicles like excavator, dump truck, and bulldozer.

Anna and Crocodile set off on a dangerous adventure to find gold.

Gnome cannot wait to help his friends harvest the school garden! But his eagerness and excitement get him into trouble.

🙂 When little dinos fuss and fight, they find a way to make things right.

🙂 Little Green is a proud and strong pickup truck who loves helping with chores, but when Farmer Gray buys a big new blue truck, Little Green is left to rust in a pasture.

🙂 Babies observe and make friends with friendly little animals.

🙂 A pint-sized pirate trades a button for some teacups, but that’s just the start. Soon he’s swapping   rope for oars, oars for flags, flags for anchors and more.

Told she cannot have a puppy because it would just be another mouth to feed, Lula Mae decides to turn one of the chickens into a very special dog.

🙂 Leaving her best friend is difficult for a young hedgehog whose family is moving, but everyone assures her that things will be alright.

🙂 When Old Turtle dies and is taken back by the sea, his friends remember that he was a wonderful teacher and friend who made his world a better place.

A granddaughter recounts the reasons why her grandmother is hard to love–and why she loves her anyway.

🙂 🙂 The crayons are all set to put on their production of Frankencrayon, when disaster strikes, a scribble is found on the set.

A vegetable garden appears to be a quiet, peaceful place. But appearances can be deceiving.

Kids celebrate happiness as they have fun doing everything from riding a hot air balloon into outer space to dancing on clouds, laughing with emojis and rocking out as a band.

One rainy day, Sam spots a perfect spring puddle. With his very first jump, he is off on an adventure of the imagination.

🙂 At the top of the world, a polar bear hunts, swims, courts, raises cubs, and worries as they go off on their own.

An African wild dog, a warthog, a lion and an elephant argue about the animal each sees through the hole in the wall–which turns out to be a mirror.

🙂 Nellie Belle, a puppy, has fun from morning to night.

🙂 How does anything start? With nothing? Perhaps. Close your eyes. Imagine everything is gone, even you, then start again.

🙂 A buzzy fly and a frisky kitten make a messy muddle on the farm.

🙂 Little Jumbo works tirelessly to be a superhero in his neighborhood, although not everyone appreciates his crime-fighting techniques.

🙂 A little boy’s animal friends help him discover the poetry to be found in nature.

I catalog hundreds of new picture books each year, and I read as many of them as I can. Unfortunately, I can’t review them all, but I can share them. Below are a few recent titles. (Summaries have been taken directly from the books whenever possible.) Rating System: 🙂 Good, 🙂 🙂 Great, 🙂 🙂 🙂 Excellent. Don’t let my ratings keep you from reading a title just because I didn’t give it a smile. You may absolutely love it!

🙂 When Ben’s best friend moves away, he decides he will move, too–under the table, where he lives as Caveman Ben.

🙂 When Meg’s jar of happiness goes missing, she must find other ways to be happy.

🙂 The seasons change and a little tree learns the joy of sharing. First published in Italy in 2004.

All the tools show what they can do. But what can Drew the Screw do?

🙂 Mr. McGinty and his dog Sophie love observing Monarch caterpillars and butterflies on their morning walk, so when they discover that the milkweed they need to survive has been mowed down, Mr. McGinty comes to the rescue.

Andrew has joined so many clubs and signed up for so many lessons, he doesn’t have time for his best friend Edie anymore.

When Beatrix brings home her neighbor’s pet guinea pig so that she can practice painting it, well..it dies! Now what?

🙂 Little Card is going to school to become a birthday card. But there’s been a mix-up. Maybe he’s meant to be a different sort of card.

🙂 🙂 A young bear spotter ventures into bear country. What will he do when he actually spots a real live bear or two?!

🙂 Sworn enemies Space Dog, Astrocat, and Mousetronaut team up to save the Spooniverse.

🙂 🙂 Bear can’t wait to spend a pleasant day alone. But Duck wants to hang out. Will Bear ever get to relax by himself?

A young panda uses his feet as a way to explore his imagination.

🙂 A rhyming picture book about how trucks and other vehicles say good night.

🙂 🙂 The cat can’t meow, the dog can’t woof, and the mouse can’t squeak! When they find their voices, there are catastrophic consequences.

🙂 Animals and children alike watch as the world transforms from the dark and dead of winter to a full and blooming spring.

🙂 🙂 It seems there’s been a mix up. The zoo got the restaurant’s food and the restaurant got the zoo animals.

🙂 Beau is dirty. Theo is dirty. It  must be bath time! The only thing better than bath time is bath time with a friend.

🙂 🙂 Rhyming text introduces young readers to 20 common, but lovely, North American birds

A hefty feline puts up with all kinds of indignities from the children in her loving but rambunctious family.

This story explores all kinds of kisses: hello kisses, goodbye kisses, noisy kisses, wet kisses, and more.

🙂 🙂 Bro and Dude have very different ideas about how to spend a day at the beach.