Format: Picture Book Fiction

The Great Gathering Place

The Great Gathering PlaceThe Great Gathering Place by Naomi McIlwraith, Onedove
ISBN: 1525310100
Genres: Cultural / First Nations, Cultural / Indigenous, Cultural / Native American
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Picture book The Great Gathering Place by Naomi McIlwraith invites readers to travel along with an Indigenous family in their big red canoe. Where are they headed? To the Great Gathering Place, where they will thank ancestors and affirm their values. Animals, fire, and water are given thanks for their part in sustaining life. Readers are reminded of the value of gentleness, generosity, kindness, and love.

The book’s greatest strength is its reminder that the resources we enjoy, and the people we share them with, are something greater than ourselves. An individual is of immense value, but our bond with each other and our surroundings make us more than the sum of our parts. Incorporating Cree language (with a pronunciation guide) enhances the book.

The text is direct and adequate, if not very poetic. Some of the digitally rendered illustrations are rich and fantastical, but others are a confusing mix of styles. Overall, a decent pick for elementary-age collections looking to include diverse voices.

Reviewed by Beth Almquist, Lewiston Public Library

three-stars

The Skeleton and the Cat

The Skeleton and the CatThe Skeleton and the Cat by Brandon James Scott
Published by Harper on July 7, 2026
ISBN: 0063455889
Genres: Humor, Magical Realism
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars
A solitary skeleton who loves gardening and tea is surprised one day when a cat knocks on the door and manages to secure an invitation in despite Skeleton’s initial reluctance to entertain a guest. In a series of short Frog and Toad-style vignettes, the Cat wins the Skeleton over with its charm and joie de vivre and the two become fast friends.

Delightful, good-natured, and funny, with bright, happy illustrations, this will be a popular pick. The Skeleton makes it a great choice for a Halloween display while the Cat ensures it will circulate year round.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

Cats in Conductor Hats

Cats in Conductor HatsCats in Conductor Hats: A Train Adventure (Cats in Hats) by Leeza Hernandez, Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
ISBN: 0593706870
Genres: Adventure, Animals, Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars
Cats in Conductor Hats

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen & Leeza Hernandez

 

This picture book for ages 3-7 is the second installment in the Cats in Hats series.

Colorful cats go on a train journey until they spot something on the tracks.  The cats need to work together to herd a young cow out of the way and stay on schedule.  Simple rhyming text will help teach colors while the onomatopoeia will keep young listeners engaged. The rats in the illustrations provide whimsy. Reminiscent of the Llama Llama series, it would have lots of re-readability in a preschool classroom.

 

4 stars

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

four-stars

Bear for a Day

Bear for a DayBear for a Day by Corey R. Tabor
ISBN: 0063373602
Genres: Adventure, Animals, Humor
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars
Ahem.

POV: you’re a bear, and your best friend is a mouse, and you ride a motorcycle. Corey Tabor (creator of the Fox early reader series and Cranky, Crabby Crow: Saves the World (2025)) takes readers on a delightful meta romp as a boy explores a day in the life of a bear. We open from the perspective of the bear, watching its eyes crack open and let in the sun. It’s unclear at first who is narrating this experience, as we only see the life of the bear, and the simple black text on white background below. But soon enough there’s a second voice – a green speech bubble interrupts our narrator’s text at the bottom of the page. Slowly a second narrative emerges, as more unseen voices chime in with questions, incredulity, and some suggestions, portrayed with different colors and speech bubbles below the images. Just as Bear and its best friend Mouse are reunited, the perspective shifts. Suddenly we’re in a classroom, and we can see who has been voicing the narrative this whole time: a boy (who suspiciously shares the name of our author) and his classmates, whose speech bubbles jump into the illustrations and are paired with individuals for the first time. Corey’s teacher also chimes in, indicating that his wild motorcycle and hot air balloon story may or may not have fulfilled the assignment for “animal presentations.”

This unconventional narrative structure may be convoluted to describe, but comes across elegantly and easily with Tabor’s careful pairing of text, color, and images. Friendly multi-media illustrations made using crayons, pencil, watercolors, and other styles ground our perspective in the bear’s, and allow for fun comparisons between the bear’s life and that of our narrator. Humor is infused throughout, from the opening “ahem” to the audience’s interjections, to a final gag in the endpapers. This is a fun way to subvert story time expectations and keep elementary age readers guessing.

Reviewed by Carolyn Gallmeyer, Lithgow Public Library, Augusta

four-stars

I Hear the Snow, I Smell the Sea

I Hear the Snow, I Smell the SeaI Hear the Snow, I Smell the Sea by Chris Raschka, Jan Milusich, Janice Milusich
Published by Random House Children's Books on October 7, 2025
ISBN: 0593308174
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

This extraordinarily rich picture book is a sensory feast told from the perspective of Nevaeh, a young, blind girl with light brown hair and blue eyes. Drawing on her experience as a teacher of the blind and visually impaired, Milusich takes readers on a journey through the seasons. Nevaeh serves as an expert guide, illustrating how the year smells, feels, sounds, and tastes: spring smells like hyacinths, summer feels like floating in the ocean, fall sounds like the “Honk, honk, honk” of migrating birds, and winter tastes like fresh snow.
Nevaeh lives a rich, full life, enjoying the same seasonal milestones as her sighted peers. Her mindful awareness and joy are perfectly captured as she jumps into leaf piles, smells spring blossoms, and builds a snowman. Raschka’s watercolor and oil pastel illustrations strike a beautiful balance between representation and abstraction, giving sighted readers a luscious understanding of the world experienced through non-visual senses.
This title serves as an excellent mentor text for discussing how a character’s unique perspective shapes a narrative. Highly recommended for public and school library collections.

 

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

five-stars

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