Hockey in the Wild

January 31, 2026

Hockey in the Wild (Volume 7) (Life in the Wild, 7) by Nicholas Oldland
Series: Life in the Wild
Published by Kids Can Press on 2025
ISBN: 1525314238
Genres: Sports
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

This breezy, funny picture book celebrates the joys of pond hockey and friendship. Readers will be giggling at every visual joke played by the juxtaposition of the text and the illustrations from the opening pages when Beaver tests the weather conditions for his morning dip while sporting a Speedo, and finds that the lake has frozen over.

Beaver calls Bear and Moose and they all lace up to skate but the ice is too thin. Pond skaters will empathize with that interminable wait for the ice to thicken up enough for skating (and hockey) and the hilarious ways they entertain themselves in the meantime (competitive napping, karaoke, comfort food marathons) until the weather is perfect. But wait! Now they have to get into condition. Once that’s done, the friends are finally out on the ice enjoying skating and shooting on net until after dark and the story ends so satisfactorily, with the promise of more hockey to come.

Oldland’s energetic and entertaining collage-like cartoons capture the grace of hockey players in action (even if they’re actually woodland creatures) and will make many readers eager to lace up their skates.

Recommended for school and public libraries in any community where pond skating still happens.

Deanna Contrino, SLMS
K-2 Resource Librarian, Scarborough Schools

Bibsy Cross and the Time Capsule

January 30, 2026

Bibsy Cross and the Time Capsule by Dung Ho, Liz Garton Scanlon
Series: Bibsy Cross #4
Published by Alfred A. Knopf on 7/8/25
ISBN: 0593644530
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Bisbsy and her best friend, Natia, are back in this fourth Bibsy Cross book. This time, the girls are struggling to complete the fourth grade project of making a time capsule. The girls don’t know what to put in their capsules, not sure they want to preserve their childhood for the future. However, when Nanaberry, Bibsy’s beloved grandmother, comes to live with Bibsy’s family, she is able to help the girls view their projects in a new way. The friends are now able to complete their projects and are proud of their work.

This book is great for young readers who are beginning to read chapter books. There isn’t much text on the page and there are many almost black and white pictures of various sizes to add interest while breaking up the text. The chapters are short and can be read in one sitting. The themes of the story are also relevant to kids this age, as the characters explore events that create more than one feeling at the same time, which they call sweet and sour. Bibsy also has the realization that Nanaberry won’t live forever and will be gone, just like her grandmother. Kids who have experienced the loss of a grandparent will no doubt relate to Bibsy. Libraries that have the other Bibsy Cross books will want to add this one to their collection.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

BALLy the Amazing Wonderball

January 29, 2026

BALLy the Amazing Wonderball by Jordan Morris
ISBN: 1525312626
Genres: Animals, Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
two-stars

BALLy the Amazing Wonderball is putting on a show tonight. Our narrator tells BALLy not to be nervous, even though the show is sold out to a group of dogs. “They seem very well-behaved. Just roll with it, okay?” The dogs must sign a contract to stay in their seats. When the ball performer rolls onto the stage, the dog audience cannot resist the temptation to run up and bite BALLy. One dog will not put BALLy down, and so the narrator has no choice but to unveil himself. He’s a squirrel! Chaos ensues and the squirrel runs to escape.

Though this book is very silly, the writing is lacking and tiresome. The illustrations are interesting and colorful, but the font is not ideal. Recommended for PreK-Early Elementary.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

Camping in the Wild

January 29, 2026

Camping in the Wild (Volume 8) (Life in the Wild, 8) by Nicholas Oldland
ISBN: 1525313630
Genres: Adventure, Animals, Humor, Nature, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

Camping in the Wild is the eighth book in the “Life in the Wild” series featuring Bear, Moose, and Beaver. This book uses humor to teach important lessons on how to properly set up for a camping trip. When Bear, Moose, and Beaver arrive at their campsite, they are exhausted! Instead of securing their tent, and properly setting up their food, they jump in the lake and take naps–only to find that a storm is brewing. Their neglected campfire starts to spread and animals have gotten into their food. Worst of all, their tent has blown up into a tree. The friends are frustrated with the situation and with each other. How will they put their camping trip back on track?

This is a book that teaches an important lesson on how to be prepared in nature using humor and cute digital illustrations. Maine library patrons, students, and teachers could find this series, and especially this title, to be helpful for learning about camping. The last page includes an image of Bear, Moose, and Beaver urinating on the campfire to ensure the fire is out. This might not be appropriate for certain audiences. Recommended for ages 3-8.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

The Life I’m In

January 28, 2026January 28, 2026

The Family I'm In by Sharon G. Flake
ISBN: 1338573209
Format: Chapter Book Fiction, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

John-John is into nerdy things like archery and Star Wars, and he is desperate to see his crush on Ashley turn into something more. His father, Big John, wants to see his son be more like him- a ladies’ man with a successful business and a big reputation. John feels like he will never be able to live up to his father’s expectations and struggles to connect with his dad’s new wife. Meanwhile, his best friend Caleb is struggling too. Ever since his father, Mr. P, suffered a brain aneurysm, Caleb has been working nonstop to help support his family. As various stressors intensify and the obligations stack up, both boys must reconcile with who they want to be and what it means to be a man.

An excellent coming-of-age story with an intense examination of the relationship between black fathers and their sons. The chapters are short and the characters and their challenges are relatable, making this both an accessible and rewarding read for teens. Readers who have yet to pick up Flake’s companion novels, The Skin I’m In and The Life I’m In, will be sure to seek them out to dig deeper into the backgrounds of Maleeka and Char, who play significant roles in this story as well.

Grades 7 & up

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Kerrie Lattari, York Middle School, York

Bear and Bird: The Secret and Other Stories

January 28, 2026

Bear and Bird: The Secret and Other Stories (Candlewick Sparks) by Jarvis
Series: Bear and Bird
Published by Candlewick on 10/7/25
ISBN: 1536247405
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Horses, Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Friendship
Format: Early Reader
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

Bear and Bird are best friends readers will see in these four short stories how funny it can be when two friends sometimes accidentally mix things up. The misunderstandings are easy to make and readers will no doubt see the subtle humor in the various situations. For example, in the last story, “The Tree”, Bear and Bird are playing hide and seek and find a great hiding place in a tree…only to realize after hours of waiting together that Bear forgot the rules of the game and that no one was looking for them. Bird only got a tiny bit mad, but they had such a fun time together in the tree that they decided to spend the rest of the day there.

This book is a Sparks Book for new readers and would be great for kids who are building their reading stamina. Some of the pages are full text, but there is a lot of space between the lines. The table of contents lets readers know that there are four Bear and Bird stories in this book. The pages are off white and most of the illustrations are a muted color. There are pops of color to add visual interest and the expressive illustrations of the character are sure to draw readers into the story. This book is one of many Bear and Bird stories by Jarvis, which do not need to be read in any particular order. They would be a great addition to collections serving new readers.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library

Enchanted Beach

January 25, 2026

Enchanted Beach by Emma Chinnery, Esther Freud
Published by Candlewick Press on 2025
ISBN: 1536243620
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

For families with a magical place they return to again and again, this book will resonate. Enchanted Beach is a story of a year in the life of a young family as they gather at the beach and appreciate big and small moments. Told in simple rhyming couplets — sometimes lovely (“Listen to the seabed roar, flutes and bells below the shore”) and occasionally clunky ( “Next year,” Mom says, “when you’re bigger.” “Next year,” Dad says, “in the summer.”) as the family celebrates and enjoys activities at Enchanted Beach through all the seasons.

The mixed media (watercolor, gouache, crayons) line drawings are charming and reflect the action in the text. The multi-generational family with grandparents, mother, father, and older sister, is pale skinned. The narrator is a small boy with light brown hair, wearing a red baseball hat or knit cap, depending on the season.

Not recommended as a story time read-aloud but Maine families will connect with the idea of visiting the shore no matter the weather and will appreciate the family’s seaside activities (crabbing, polar bear plunges, flying kites, etc) depicted in the appealing illustrations. For story times celebrating a life’s big and small moments, read A Year of Everyday Wonders (2020) by Cheryl Klein.

Recommended for school and public libraries.

Deanna Contrino, SLMS
K-2 Resource Librarian, Scarborough Schools

The Peddler of Puddles

January 25, 2026

The Peddler of Puddles: A Heartwarming Story About an Inventor, Friendship, and Home for Children (Ages 4-8) by Beth Ferry, Tom Lichtenheld
Published by HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks on April 8, 2025
ISBN: 0063318342
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

The Peddler, an affable looking turtle, pushes his puddle-making machine (equal parts wheelbarrow and Rube Goldberg contraption) along, creating puddles that become homes and play areas for delighted animals in the forest and children wherever he goes. Everyone he assists is left happy and fulfilled and it seems the Peddler is too, sporting red rain boots, a fetching straw hat and a friendly smile.

The Peddler has many friends but a nomadic life that seems an unremarkable part of his job (peddlers seldom “(stay) in one place very long”). Then one day, the Peddler makes his way to the seashore, and is astonished by the sight of the ocean. There he meets a little girl with brown skin and brown hair in a polka dot swimsuit. She is sandy from head to foot, and the Peddler tries to assist. His puddles all disappear into the sand but no matter, the new friends go down to the water’s edge and enjoy the wonderful experience of playing in the waves.

When it’s time for the little girl to leave for home, the Peddler is despondent with the knowledge that he does not have a place to call his own. Ferry’s description and Lichtenheld’s illustrations work well together here to share the Peddler’s overwhelming feeling of being untethered and alone, as he tries and fails to push his puddle-making cart through the sand.

The Peddler has given up and sits defeated in the sand, when all the animals with whom he has shared his marvelous puddles, appear at the shoreline. They help him move his machine through the sand, and lead him back to the forest, where they have dug a large hole just right for a puddle-making contraption to turn into a pond and a home.

The Peddler dismantles the machine and converts it into a charming cabin, and the pond becomes a place for the Peddler and all his friends to share. Maine families will appreciate this sweet story that ends with the Peddler and all his friends swimming, playing cards, etc. at a pond and cabin that will remind many of “camp”. A gentle reminder that sometimes our friends might need something they don’t know they’re missing.

Recommended for school and public libraries.

Deanna Contrino, SLMS
K-2 Resource Librarian, Scarborough Schools

Elephant Bowling and Other Animal Play

January 24, 2026

Elephant Bowling and Other Animal Play (Animals Do What!?) by Richard Haynes, Stephanie Laberis
on August 26, 2025
ISBN: 1536230901
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Using a playful, conversational tone Haynes compares the way animals play in the wild to the games humans play (hide-and-seek, keep-away, etc.) in this picture book full of interesting, lesser- known facts about creatures we may think we know fairly well.

Haynes arranges the text by the purpose of the “games” (Part I focuses on activities that hone survival skills), then breaks those activities into games readers will easily recognize, such as King of the Hill and Tug-of-War. For each game, Hayne shares descriptive narratives for different animal species that play versions of that game. Who knew that so many kinds of animals (polar bears, ravens, and river otters) enjoy sledding? The descriptions also include lots of quantitative data (i.e. patas monkeys can reach speeds of 33 mph in three seconds) that will appeal to fact collectors. The conveyance of information feels casual but is supported by research.

The cute, cartoonish (all animals appear to be smiling) illustrations carry that same sense of fun. The anthropomorphic illustrations may cause a bit of a disconnect for readers expecting. more realistic illustrations (or photos) in their nonfiction texts. For others, the smiling animals will make it that much more engaging.

This may appeal to middle grade students looking for interesting nonfiction books about animals. Teachers looking to compare different kinds of nonfiction may find it useful for the many nonfiction features it contains: illustrated world map; table of contents; glossary; bibliography; index, headings and subheadings). A small quibble: there are many interesting words in the glossary readers will want to learn but those words are not bolded in the text, making it difficult to see the words in context.

Recommended for purchase for public libraries and elementary school libraries.

Deanna Contrino, SLMS
K-2 Resource Librarian, Scarborough Schools

Little Red and Big, Bad Fred

January 24, 2026

Little Red and Big, Bad Fred by Ashley Belote
Published by Random House ISBN: 0593902432
Genres: Fairy Tale
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Follow big, bad Fred’s emotional growth journey from terrifying predator to snuggly best friend in this funny retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Fred is continually exasperated with Little Red, who first labels him a kitty, then obliviously thwarts all of Fred’s attack plans, all while showering the wolf with love. Fred’s frustration leads to confusion, acceptance, and finally love as he realizes how much Little Red adores him. This will be a hit with young fairy tale fans, and would be a fun read aloud choice.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath