Format: Picture Book Fiction

Fred Rex

Fred RexFred Rex by Joaquín Camp
Published by Kids Can Press on ‎ October 6, 2026
ISBN: 1525315331
Genres: dinosaurs, Emotions & Feelings, Family, Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

Our friend Fred Rex, full name Frederick Bartholomew Rex the Third, comes from a long family line of frighteners. He takes his job of carrying on the family line of frighteners very seriously attending the prestigious School of Fear. After he leaves school and the family home he tries all the things he learned in school. The problem is, he’s not very good at it. His best scares just aren’t very scary. How can Fred carry on the family legacy if he’s not scary?
One thing Fred does like is opera and he sings whenever he gets the chance. Will his family accept this talent or will he let them down?
Fred is like all of us just trying to find their way in the world and being their true self.

Ages 3 -7
Reviewed by MaryAnn Lopes, Elementary Librarian. Lewiston Public Schools, Lewiston, Maine.

three-stars

The Haunted Playground

Genres: Holiday
Format: Picture Book Fiction
five-stars

The Haunted Playground

Author: R.J. Palacio

Illustrator: Brett Helquist

 

This Halloween picture book for children ages 4-8 is about Rex Magnificus, the king of ghosts, who comes to the playground at midnight once all the trick-or-treaters are in bed for the evening.  Why should kids have all the fun on Halloween? Unfortunately, the ghosts make so much noise that they wake up a pair of children. Rex tries to scare them away, but the brother and sister are not frightened and instead enjoy a night of fun reverie with the ghosts. The siblings are sad to leave their new phantom friends at the end of the night, but Rex reassures them that he will return next year on Halloween.

The text is written in rhymed verse, which makes the book an excellent choice for a read-aloud. The illustrations are full of spooky whimsy, including ghosts dressed up in costumes.

5 stars

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

five-stars

A Not So Perfect Start

A Not So Perfect StartA Not So Perfect Start (The Caring Classroom, #1) by Maribel Lechuga, Trudy Ludwig
Series: The Caring Classroom #1
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on June 16, 2026
ISBN: 979-8217028672
Genres: Emotions & Feelings, Humor, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Starting school is nerve-wracking but Thea is sure she is ready. She has gone down her checklist and has everything she needs! She overcomes her nerves and joins her class.

Sometimes things don’t go exactly as she plans and her emotions get the better of her when what she was working on didn’t turn out perfect. With the caring input from her teacher she learns that things don’t need to be perfect. With this new perspective she is able to look at how even the messiest of accidents can become something beautiful.

Ages 4 -7
Reviewed by MaryAnn Lopes, Elementary Librarian. Lewiston Public Schools, Lewiston, Maine.

four-stars

Stubby: A Pencil’s Journey

by Sydra Mallery
Published by Greenwillow Books on June 30, 2026
ISBN: 978-0062364319
Genres: Adventure
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
three-stars

Have you ever thought about where that pencil you just picked up came from? Stubby tells the story from his own point of view, from his life as a tree to meeting nine new friends at the pencil factory after his time at the timber mill. All of this is nothing compared to what happens once Barbara Ann Brown buys his box of pencils and takes him to school. That’s where things really get wild!

This is a perfect book for those kids that love to see how things are made. It provides a broader view to students as they see how things move in the world and school around them.

Ages 3-8
Reviewed by MaryAnn Lopes, Elementary Librarian. Lewiston Public Schools, Lewiston, Maine.

three-stars

Coco and Stephen, Together Forever

Coco and Stephen, Together ForeverCoco and Stephen, Together Forever: How a Kitten and Bunny Became Best Friends by Beth Stern, Joanie Stone, Margaret McNamara
Published by Random House Studio on May 5, 2026
Genres: Animals, Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Horses
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

Coco is a grey kitten and Stephen is a grey and white rabbit. They each live in what they feel is their forever home and then things change. Thankfully they end up being taken to a shelter where they are comfortable, cared for, and have plenty of playmates, sometimes too many. Then they see one another and a true friendship is born. They soon do everything together, eating, sleeping, playing, and getting their zoomies out.

This story is based on the real life experiences of the author and her pets, Coco and Stephen, who live happily together at her house. Backmatter tells their story as well as providing information on rescuing animals.

Ages 3+
Reviewed by MaryAnn Lopes, Elementary Librarian. Lewiston Public Schools, Lewiston, Maine.

three-stars

Who Are You?

Who Are You?Who Are You? by Claire Keane
Published by Random House Studio Genres: Adventure, Emotions & Feelings, Nature
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

A young, pale-skinned child, accompanied by a basset hound, walks, climbs, and explores the great outdoors, climbing hills and crossing streams,  all the while considering the repetitive phrase “Who are you?” As the day darkens, she realizes “I am the trail I cannot see. I am lost.” But she keeps on keeping on and is eventually welcomed home by her loving family, to which she proudly shows off her skinned knee. The mostly brown and orange drawings are interesting, but this book fell flat for me. I get the author’s goal is asking the reader to consider what has made them and who they are, but it just didn’t have that spark. A worthwhile contemplative read, however. Appropriate gift for a recent graduate.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

three-stars

While We’re Here

While We’re HereWhile We’re Here by Anne Wynter, Micha Archer
Published by Clarion Books ISBN: 0063238292
Genres: Cultural / African American, Family Life, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

An African American mom and daughter are rushing to get somewhere in the first half of the book . . The suspense builds with the repeated refrain, “Hurry, hurry.” The reader wonders where they are going, only to be empathetically disappointed when they arrive to discover the party was yesterday. However, now that they have nowhere to be they can take a more leisurely trip back home and stop to enjoy things along the way. This book covers the gambit of emotions using mostly simple two-lined text. Archer’s brilliant collage art sets the characters against vibrant greens and blues in the city setting. This book will be a wonderful read aloud at story time. It’s message is relatable for everyone.

Nominated for Cream of the Crop

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

five-stars

It Takes a Family to Serve: A Tribute to Military Famlies

It Takes a Family to Serve: A Tribute to Military FamliesIt Takes a Family to Serve: A Tribute to Military Families by David Soman, Lisa Wheeler
Published by Harper on March 17, 2026
ISBN: 0063283476
Genres: Emotions & Feelings, Family Life, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

Detailing the ways that families miss and support their service members, Wheeler introduces five military households: an Air Force mom’s family who runs the farm without her, a son in the Navy, a sister in the Coast Guard, a daughter in the Army, and a Marine wounded in a war. Wholesome watercolor and gouache vignettes of the children and other family members demonstrates the integral role they play. The author offers useful suggestions of ways families can help serve—providing pet care, sending care packages, or simply looking up to “share the moon.” While the sentiments are earnest, the rhyme scheme seems forced and mechanical at times. Still it’s a wonderful book to talk about the sacrifices that all members of a soldier’s make when their career choice is to serve their country. A good choice for libraries near a base where many soldiers are deployed.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

three-stars

We Are Joy

We Are JoyWe Are Joy by Chrystal D. Giles, Kitt Thomas
Published by Random House ISBN: 0593647734
Genres: Cultural / African American, Emotions & Feelings, Inspiration
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Lyrical prose and vibrant art make this picture book that celebrates the Black community – a joy. It describes all the ways that can make one feel joyful, however, not just for the Black community. Anyone can relate to the joy of being  wrapped in “Nana’s hand-stitched blanket.” Probably best to share with upper elementary grades to understand the nuances, such as, “We are JOY-FULL, surrounded by laughter and light,” even though the children in the illustrations are younger. All are African Americans. I could see this as a jumping board for an art project – “What brings you joy?” and an inspirational addition of books for Black History Month.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

 

four-stars

Be My Brave Sunflower

Be My Brave SunflowerBe My Brave Sunflower by Kathryn Simmonds, Rosalind Beardshaw
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536235431
Genres: Emotions & Feelings
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars
Vernon is a cautious, anthropomorphized sunflower seed who prefers the safety of his cozy soil to the big, wide world. He watches his friends—Mel, Gloria, and Bernice—successfully sprout under the care of young schoolchildren, but Vernon remains fearful of perils like slugs, birds, and thunderstorms.
His patient gardener, Carla, a pale-skinned girl with blonde braids, grows worried when her caregiving fail to yield results. Her supportive teacher Miss Okoro, who has brown skin and a mass of curls, reassures Carla, and Carla delivers a loving pep talk on bravery to Vernon. Motivated by her reassurance, Vernon eventually discovers that the outside world is also filled with wonderful things like sunshine and stars, giving him the courage to sprout in the garden alongside his peers.
The story’s plot is predictable and lacks deep narrative complexity, but it remains a sweet, highly empathetic choice for children facing major life transitions. The inclusive, diverse human cast is welcoming and reflective of a modern classroom. Charming digital illustrations mimic a vibrant marker-and-ink medium, effectively enhancing the story’s warmth and visual appeal. This title serves as a companion to similar social-emotional learning picture books on bravery, such as Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall and The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson.
A heartening and recommended addition to school and public library collections, perfect for an early-autumn or beginning-of-the-school-year read-aloud, when everything feels new and perhaps, a little scary.
Deanna Contrino, SLMS/MLIS
K-2 Resource Librarian, Scarborough Public Schools
four-stars