Format: Picture Book Fiction

El Toro & Friends: Tough Times

El Toro & Friends: Tough TimesTough Times: A Graphic Novel―A Funny Lucha Libre Wrestling Story with Spanish words for Kids (Ages 6-10) (World of ¡Vamos!) by Elaine Bay, Raúl the Third
ISBN: 0063396289
Genres: Cultural / Latin America, Juvenile Fiction / Comics & Graphic Novels / Humorous, Sports
Format: Graphic Novel, Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

El Toro & Friends is back with another installment of luchadores stories. In Tough Times, we learn about what El Toro was like when he was starting out as Kid Toro and how he rose to the top. Raul the Third illustrates how Kid Toro was defeated time and time again and how he wonders if he’ll ever win a fight. His hero pulls him aside and reminds him that he also had to lose many times before he became a champion. Renewed in his determination to get to the top, Kid Toro beats Al “The Crane” Scorpio and remembers to have fun, too!

Another great release from Raúl the Third’s world of El Toro & Friends. For multilingual readers, these books are excellent at blending English and Spanish in world bubbles. These books can be shelved as graphic novels, picture books, or early readers which checks a lot of boxes for different readers. Recommended for Ages 6-10.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

 

four-stars

Bing’s Cherries

Bing’s CherriesBing's Cherries by Julia Kuo, Livia Blackburne
Published by Random House Children's Books Genres: Biography/Autobiography, Folklore
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

A new American tall tale about Ah Bing has been created by Livia Blackburne and Julia Kuo. This story is inspired by the real-life Chinese Immigrant horticulturalist who dedicated much of his life cultivating the popular Bing Cherry in Oregon. Blackburne’s story is about a father and daughter eating dark red cherries in their backyard in July. “At night, after I’ve washed the cherry juice off my hands, I imagine Ah Bing’s life.”

She imagines Ah Bing is larger than life walking through the San Francisco shore. The gentle giant is given a bag of seeds to plant in the ground. As he sings of the sadness of being a Chinese Immigrant in America, a giant tear falls from his face into the ground where he planted the seeds. From the ground sprouts the most magnificent cherry saplings with snow white blossoms and beautiful dark cherries. Bing’s cherries will forever be remembered.

A well-written and eye-catching folktale picture book based on a real Chinese American immigrant to read alongside stories such as Johnny Appleseed and Paul Bunyan. Ages 4+

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

three-stars

Shaped By Love: An Ode to Mom Bods

Shaped By Love: An Ode to Mom BodsShaped by Love: An Ode to Mom Bods by Amanda Calatzis, Nikki Powers
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536230065
Genres: Family, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

A lot changes after the birth of a child, one of those things is a mother’s body. In this ode to “Mom Bods,” bodies all of shapes and sizes are celebrated for being the place where babies are made and connections formed. The illustrations are what truly shine when you first open the pages. They are a mixed media of embroidery, paint, and graphic design. The 3-D stitches really pop off the page and are reminiscent of the ways mothers are stitched back together after birth. There’s a great variety of different skin colors, ages, and cultures represented in the pages as well.

Parents will enjoy reading this book together with their children to foster connection. Body positivity is beautifully presented on each page. Highly recommended for picture book collections. Lovely for reading with infants through elementary ages.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

five-stars

The Great Waking Up: The Story of Easter

The Great Waking Up: The Story of EasterThe Great Waking Up: The Story of Easter by Sarah Shin, Shin Maeng
ISBN: 0593580605
Genres: Christian
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars
The Great Waking Up is a retelling of the Easter resurrection story through the eyes of Anastasia, a young girl with long dark hair, light brown skin, and dark eyes, contemporary to the time. The simply told narrative seamlessly combines original storytelling with passages of Christian scripture. Throughout the book, the resurrection is connected to other biblical miracles witnessed by Anastasia and her mother, Anika.
Intended for children ages 5–9 and their families, the book includes intense imagery—such as Jesus nailed to the cross—that parents may want to discuss with their children. The illustrations are appealing, stylized, and appear to be created with mixed media, including watercolor, ink, and markers. The manga-like artwork is highly engaging and will easily attract young readers.
This volume makes a welcoming addition to public library collections where Christian picture books are in high demand.

Deanna Contrino, SLMS/MLIS
K-2 School Resource Librarian, Scarborough Public Schools

four-stars

We Always Had Wings

We Always Had WingsWe Always Had Wings by Jess X. Snow
ISBN: 9780593428511
Genres: Family, Immigrants
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
two-stars
Jess X. Snow created this memoir of their childhood return to China to “offer (their) six-year-old self courage and imagination.” In the author’s note, Snow describes it as a personal story about displacement, belonging, and a return to homeland and family. The theme is simple: people have the right to feel belonging wherever they are. However, Snow’s allegorical treatment of the narrative may muddle the story for younger readers.
While on a plane to China with their mother, Little Snow experiences anxiety about emigration and identity, wondering about questions many children face: What makes a place home? Who gets to say who belongs where? Outside, red-crowned cranes fly through purple and rose skies over a mountainous city. To calm Little Snow’s fears, their mother shares a story about ancestors flying across the sea as birds. The cranes then transform into amalgamated shapes, carrying humans—including Little Snow and their mother—on their backs.
Once they arrive, Little Snow and their mother reunite with Grandmother, enjoying a warm homecoming. As Little Snow realizes that both China and the United States are part of who they are, they take off into the sky to go wherever they can imagine. While the story and imagery are beautifully poetic, the connection between the crane allegory and the realistic family reunion feels disjointed, making the transitions feel clunky. Libraries looking for picture books about emigration and multicultural identity will find more cohesive titles readily available.

Deanna Contrino, SLMS/MLIS

K-2 School Resource Librarian, Scarborough Schools

two-stars

Nice Work

by Nicholas Day
Published by Penguin Random House on May 12, 2026
ISBN: 9780593806296
Pages: 40
Genres: Emotions & Feelings
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
four-stars

Friendship, patience, and change are central themes that weave through Nice Work, a picture book written by Nicholas Day and illustrated by Hala Tahboub. A family decides to plant a peach tree, which starts off looking only like a stick. The child decides to plant more sticks with a friend, Maya, to see if they grow into trees as well. With care and patience, the real tree grows and eventually bears fruit, but sadly, Maya moves away. An older woman moves into Maya’s house and new connections are made. The child shows through a letter to Maya that he learns about patience, care, and how to cope with change. This is a philosophical, gently paced story with some diverse characters.  All of this is conveyed with the straightforward tone of a kid who just tells it like it is, which brings light humor to this meaningful book. The illustrations seem straightforward at first, but the use of light and shadow conveys the complexities of friendship and loss, anticipation and waiting, constancy and change. Early Elementary readers will enjoy this book, and it could also be a good read aloud for K-5th graders. 

Reviewed by Antona Briley, Librarian, Dora Small School, South Portland

four-stars

Is This a Plum?

Is This a Plum?Is This a Plum? A Peek-Through Picture Book by Dan Ojari
Genres: Babies/Infants, Children's Beginning Readers, Humor, Picture book/animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Is This a Plum? a delightful peek-through picture book by Dan and Finn Ojari, will keep readers on their toes! Page cut-outs look like one thing, but you’ll be surprised with every turn of the page. Readers of any age will enjoy the guessing game as well as the charming critters determined to lead your guesses astray. And such illustrations! Like Eric Carle, Dan Ojari can command a page with basic shapes and colors. Those who tend to be visually overwhelmed will especially love the design of the book. Even the texture of the cover has a tactile appeal.

Recommended for ages 3-8, and the book begs to be read aloud. Daycares, preschools, K-3 classrooms, library children’s collections, and caregivers of all types would do well to add Is This a Plum? to their collections.

Bonus! The book was inspired by Dan’s son Finn who realized a plum looks a lot like a … well, you’ll have to find that out for yourself.

Reviewed by Beth Almquist, Lewiston Public Library

five-stars

Spendin’ Time

Spendin’ Time: A Picture Book about Family and Slowing Down, for Kids (Ages 4-8) by Gary R. Gray Jr., Rahele Jomepour Bell
ISBN: 006308998X
Genres: Cultural / Indigenous, Family, Family Life
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

What’s the story? Nothing really. Just spendin’ time. Gray and Bell’s gentle slice-of-life picture book follows a boy and his grandfather as they move through town one day: gathering berries, greeting neighbors, fishing, visiting the market, and sharing memories. Nothing is rushed, no problems to overcome. The point, we see, is the boy and his grandfather spending time together, noticing and enjoying life’s small pleasures. The author’s note at the end of the book, addressed to the author’s own grandfather, clarifies that the setting here is Preston, Nova Scotia, “Canada’s oldest Indigenous black community,” and the site of many happy memories.

Bell’s illustrations underscore the message of the book, with soft pastels offering rounded edges and rich colors to notice and appreciate. And while the gentle tone and repeated reminder that “we’re spending time” encourage readers to slow down, the text isn’t without excitement. “Plop! Fwoosh! Splash!” Onomatopoeia dots steps along the journey and offers fun read-aloud moments for a preschool story time focused on grandparents or daily life/chores.

Reviewed by Carolyn Gallmeyer, Lithgow Public Library, Augusta

four-stars

Navigating Night

Navigating NightNavigating Night by Angie Kang, Julie Leung
on March 10, 2026
ISBN: 0593897692
Genres: Emotions & Feelings, Family, Family Life, Immigrants
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

“I don’t want to be a good kid. I want to be a normal kid.” So says the narrator of Navigating Night, a picture book based on author Julie Leung’s own childhood experience. Against the backdrop of a rainy night, evocatively illustrated by Angie Kang, a Chinese girl helps her father make deliveries for their restaurant. Translating and navigating, she finds herself encountering those who are kind, those who are not, and those who make her feel envious and awkward. When she challenges her father that she wants to be like other kids rather than help him, he responds by gently telling her of his own journey from danger, navigating a new home, sent by his family to begin a new life when he was just a boy.

Navigating Night conveys the frustration every child feels when conflicted between pride in who they are, and the need to blend in. It also points out the frustration experienced by children of immigrants who must function as adults as they assist their parents, while longing to be a “normal kid.” Recommended for elementary classrooms, public libraries, and any who want to take a brief journey in the shoes (or car) of a child learning to navigate her own way home.

Reviewed by Beth Almquist, Lewiston Public Library

four-stars

Claire and the Cathedral

Genres: Arts, Inspiration
Format: Picture Book Fiction
three-stars

Claire and the Cathedral

Author/ Illustrator: Pam Fong

This is a wordless grayscale picture book, with pops of rainbow colors, for ages 4-8 about a young girl named Claire. When her mother takes her to a cathedral on a rainy day, she is initially quite bored.   Then a brief ray of light shines through a stained-glass window and brings color and wonder back into Claire’s gray world. Soon she realizes there are rainbows all around her, if she looks closely.

This book encourages readers to find unexpected beauty in a dreary rainy day. It also highlights the uplifting power of generosity and the connection of parent and child.

Accessible to children of all ages, literacy levels, and languages, it encourages readers to tell the story in their own words.  The illustrations are the highlight of the book, but the setting may be largely unrelatable and foreign to a large group of readers. 

3 stars

 Reviewed by: Lindsey Hopkins, Jay-Niles Memorial Library, Jay

three-stars