FOUND: While missing her dog, a young girl finds, befriends, and cares for another lost dog. Wordless

SOPHIE JOHNSON, UNICORN EXPERT: Sophie is so caught up in teaching others about unicorns that she fails to notice the magic right under her nose.

I JUST LIKE YOU: A diverse group of animals show how friendship can be as simple as appreciating the critter next to you.

LOVE, Z: While out looking for adventure, a young robot finds a message in a bottle that starts him on a quest to find out what love it.

TWINKLE: Twinkle’s spells go from clumsy to catastrophic on her first day of fairy school.

MOUSIE, I WILL READ TO YOU: Follow a mama mouse and her baby on the little mouse’s journey to becoming a reader.

THE BOOK THAT JAKE BORROWED: Jake borrows a library book, drips jelly on it, and must face the consequences.

FOX EXPLORES THE NIGHT: A fox sets off from its den to explore the neighborhood and hunt for food.

NO BORING STORIES: A bunny wants to help the other animals write a story, but they won’t let him because bunnies are too boring.

STEWART’S BEST PEN: Stewart and his pen Craig are best friends, so when Craig disappears, Stewart’s the one who feels lost.

HOW TO EAT PIZZA: A slice of pizza tries to convince the narrator not to eat him. Funny!

WOKE BABY: A woke baby is up early, raises his fists in the air, cries out for justice, and grows up to change the world.

WHAT’S FOR BREAKFAST: While practicing his swooping, Pip the owl crash-lands in the middle of Theodore the mouse’s breakfast.

HAROLD LOVES HIS WOOLLY HAT: Harold feels like a very special bear in his woolly hat, so when it’s stolen, he has to get it back.

STAR IN THE JAR: When a little boy stumbles across a lost star, he decides to take care of it.

IS THAT YOU, ELEANOR SUE: Eleanor Sue is a master of disguise, but when her mother gets in on the act, anything can happen. Pretty darn cute!

PINE & BOOF BLAST OFF: Pine and Boof build a rocket so that they can return an egg from outer space to its nest. Fun!

SPECTACULARLY BEAUTIFUL: Every day, Shahad came to school with perfect hair, but her perfect hair cannot hide her scars.

NIGHT PLAY: A boy and his animal friends put on a stage play. Lift-the-flap pages

ONCE UPON A SNOWSTORM: A boy, lost in the woods during a snowstorm, is aided by the forest animals. Wordless

DREAMLAND: Amelie ventures into a fantastical world in order to uncover her favorite dreams.

LOVED TO BITS: A boy relays the special relationship he has with his teddy bear. Rhyme

ELEANOR WYATT PRINCESS AND PIRATE: Join Eleanor and her friends as they romp through tea parties and sword fights to discover the best treasure of all–being yourself. Rhyme

THE CASE OF THE MISSING CHALK DRAWINGS: The chalks are drawing flowers on the chalkboard, but someone keeps stealing their artwork. Clever and fun!

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.) Check your local library or bookstore for availability.

A BOY AND A HOUSE: A boy follows a cat and a trail of drawings up several flights of stairs. Thought-provoking wordless story!

EBENEZER HAS A WORD FOR EVERYTHING: No one appreciates Ebenezer’s word collection until he meets a friend who writes stories and could use a word or two.

ANNA AT THE ART MUSEUM: Anna is bored at the art museum until she’s allowed into the secret workshop.

ERROL’S GARDEN: A young boy unites his community by starting a garden on the roof of his building.

UNDER THE SAME SKY: Though we live in different parts of the world, we all live under the same sky. Lovely illustrations!

QUIET WYATT: A friendship is born when soft-spoken Wyatt is paired with outgoing Noreen on a class field trip.

BENJI, THE BAD DAY, AND ME: Sammy is having a very bad day at school and at home until his autistic brother, Benji, finds a way to make him feel better. 

CONSTRUCTION ZOO: It’s a quiet morning at the zoo until some strange new creatures roll in.

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.) Check your local library or bookstore for availability.

CARMELA FULL OF WISHES: Carmela, finally old enough to run errands with her brother, tries to think of the perfect wish after finding a lone dandelion.

HOW COULD A BEAR SLEEP HERE?: Shelby the bear is ready to hibernate, but everywhere he tries to fall asleep is far too noisy.

FIRST SNOW: Neighbor kids have fun in the snow together. Sweetly illustrated!

SURPRISE!: Pals Bear, Raccoon, and Squirrel are eager to make friends with some city folk who visit the woods.

ELBOW GREASE: A small electric truck with a lot of gumption, enters the Monster Truck Grand Prix to prove to his brothers that he is just as capable as they are. Fun, colorful art and a great message!

DO YOU BELIEVE IN UNICORNS?: Narrator refuses to believe that a horse in a hat could be a unicorn in disguise. Humorous and sweet!

JUST ADD GLITTER: A girl jazzes up a rainy, boring day with glitter. Fun!

OCTOPUS ESCAPES!: Octopus slips out of his tank while the aquarium sleeps and leads the security guard on a merry chase.

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.) Check your local library or bookstore for availability.

WINTER IS HERE: Kids experience the joys and hardships of winter and look forward to spring. Lovely art!

NEVER LET YOU GO: A celebration of the bond between parent and child.

THE SNOWY NAP: After hearing about winter from his friends, Hedgie the hedgehog tries to stay awake to experience its wonders.

AM I YOURS?: Several friendly dinosaurs help a lost egg get reunited with its parents. Sweet and a fun read aloud!

NEW YORK MELODY: A stray musical note explores the sounds of New York City. Beautiful lasercut illustrations!

HANSEL & GRETEL: In a fairy tale twist, Hansel and Gretel ransack Willow the good witch’s gingerbread cottage.

I AM ACTUALLY A PENGUIN: A girl loves her penguin outfit so much that she never wants to take it off.

A HOME IN THE BARN: As winter approaches, all the animals, from the horses to the mice, find comfort in the barn.

ROCK WHAT YA GOT: An artist, displeased with her drawing, tries to make it better, but the figure, Viva, comes to life and proclaims that she’s happy just the way she it. Fun!

LUCIA THE LUCHADORA: Lucia becomes exasperated when her bothersome little sister makes a big hole in her mask. 

UP THE MOUNTAIN PATH: Every Sunday, Mrs. Badger walks the mountain path alone, until the day she meets Lulu and everything changes.

SEA PRAYER: When the sun rises, a father and son gather their possessions and join others as they embark on a perilous sea journey in search of a new home. Moving and powerful!

A PRAYER FOR THE ANIMALS: A special blessing for all animals around the world. Lovely!

LITTLE PENGUIN STAYS AWAKE: Penguin tries really hard to stay awake so that he can wish on a shooting star.

GATOR, GATOR, GATOR!: Join a little girl on her quest to find a gator.

PEARL: Pearl is heartbroken when her mother asks her to tend to a mere grain of sand. Another beautiful Molly Idle book!

OLIVER: Just when Oliver resigns himself to always being the second largest living thing on Earth, he meets other trees who help him realize he’s part of something even larger.

PTERODACTYL SHOW AND TELL: When one boy brings his pterodactyl to class for show-and-tell, pandemonium prevails.

CAPTAIN RAPTOR AND THE PERILOUS PLANET: Captain Raptor and his crew rush to help rescue scientists who are trapped on an unstable planet with a volcano about to erupt.

OUR CELEBRACION!: A rain shower does not dampen a Latino family’s enjoyment of their town’s parade and summer celebration.

SWEET DREAMING: Molly’s mother imagines stories to lull her to sleep, from swooping birds to a quiet beach, and soon one of them falls asleep.

THE HOUSE OF LOST AND FOUND: A neighbor boy asks Niles, a lonely old man, to look after his plant while he’s away. Beautifully illustrated!

THE SNOWFLAKE MISTAKE: Princess Ellie is left in charge of the magical snowflake machine.

SING TO THE MOON: A young Ugandan boy and his grandfather have fun together on a rainy day.

COUNTING DINOS: Join a gang of dinosaurs as they go from one to ten and learn to see their world in a new way. Fun and colorful read aloud!

CRAFTY LLAMA: Llama likes to knit while she thinks, but Beaver will only make something if it’s useful.

ALL ARE WELCOME: In one very special school, diversity is celebrated and songs, stories, and talents are shared. Awesome message!

HIKING DAY: Going on a hike for the very first time is an adventure for one young girl.

LORRAINE, THE GIRL WHO SANG THE STORM AWAY: When Pa Paw and Lorraine’s instruments come up missing during a fearsome storm, Lorraine finds the music inside herself to get them through.   

A KISS FOR AKARAKA: A girl spends time with her father who playfully includes his daughter’s imaginary friend Akaraka. Lovely art!

ZOLA’S ELEPHANT: A girl hesitates to initiate friendship with her new neighbor Zola because she imagines Zola is busy with her elephant friend. Beautifully illustrated and unique!

HOW THE SQUID GOT TWO LONG ARMS: A mischievous squid steals clothes from the other animals until they fight back, leaving him with two long arms in the process. 

MAX AND THE SUPERHEROES: Max is crazy about superheroes, especially Megapower, who is someone very special to him.

QUIET: Two children learn from their grandfather how to be quiet and still and appreciate the world around them.

A VERY LATE STORY: After several creatures show up and realize they’re in a book, they decide to wait for their story to begin.

A GOOD DAY FOR DUCKS: A brother and sister play outside on a rainy day.

THE NIGHT BOX: When a boy opens the Night Box, darkness swoops out, taking light’s place, and night flows freely until morning comes to replace it again.

TAKE YOUR OCTOPUS TO SCHOOL DAY: Tired of being second best, Sam is determined to “win” at show-and-tell, especially on Take Your Octopus To School Day.

JOSIE’S LOST TOOTH: Josie finally loses a baby tooth, but when she for-real loses it, she needs a substitute tooth to leave for the Tooth Fairy.

SCAREDY BEAR: A brave little bunny goes in search of the scary creature known as the Big Hairy.

GOOD MORNING, NEIGHBOR: A group of animals goes in search of the ingredients needed to make a cake.

WILD ORCA: A girl named Mia hopes she will catch a glimpse of Granny, the oldest orca, during Orca Sing in the San Juan Islands.

FAST ASLEEP IN A LITTLE VILLAGE IN ISRAEL: Various sounds keep Mrs. Strauss awake, but when the first rain of the season comes, it quiets everything else.

NIGHT JOB: When the sun sets, a boy helps his dad clean the school.

GIRAFFE PROBLEMS: A giraffe goes on and on about how awful his neck is until he meets another animal who needs his help.

HOW TO BE A T. REX: When Sal grows up, she’s going to be a Tyrannosaurus Rex because being human can be a real drag.

HEY, WALL: Armed with pencils, paints, dreams, and Grandma Addy’s memories of how beautiful the neighborhood once was, Angel and others paint the cold, empty wall.

THIS IS A CIRCLE: Circles and squares are introduced as a most unusual group of friends sings, sails, huffs, and puffs. Fun!

A DOG NAMED HAKU: During a Hindu festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, brothers Alu and Bhalu search for a dog they can honor with food and gratitude.

ERASER: Eraser is tired of cleaning up everyone else’s mistakes and wants to create instead.

AN UNLIKELY BALLERINA: A small, frail girl with wobbly legs and turned-out toes becomes the first Jewish prima ballerina assoluta in history.

CROW NOT CROW: A girl accompanies her father for the first time on a birding expedition and learns how to identify several birds.

THE REMEMBER BALLOONS: James has a bunch of balloons, each of which holds a special memory, but he notices that as his grandfather ages, he loses balloons, while James gains new ones.

KITTEN AND THE NIGHT WATCHMAN: Being a night watchman is a lonely job, especially when you’re away from your family.