Format: Picture Book Fiction

To See An Owl

To See An OwlTo See an Owl by Matthew Cordell
Published by Random House Studio on January 7, 2025
ISBN: 0593649893
Pages: 38
Genres: Animals, Emotions & Feelings, Nature, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Janie’s long hoped of seeing an owl. Accompanied by her devoted mother, Janie searches the woods and surrounding area. Not a single owl has presented itself after months of searching. Janie gets a tip from her teacher and experienced birder Mr. Koji. When Janie goes to the location he suggested, she spots two horned owls.

Beautiful pen-and-ink illustrations treated with watercolors convey the young birder’s drawings, notes, and map.  There are also subtler moments, such as  Mama’s unease while exploring or the time when the two miss a hidden owl in the illustration. Janie (aka Cordell) includes a page in her journal of the sounds different owls make. This book is informative and a pleasurable exploration of the magic of nature. Nicely paired with Jane Yolen’s Owl Moon (1987). For ages 6-9.

Nominated for Cream of the Crop

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

 

five-stars

Molly, Olive, and Dexter: You Can’t Catch Me

Molly, Olive, and Dexter: You Can’t Catch MeMolly, Olive, and Dexter: You Can't Catch Me! by Catherine Rayner
Series: Mollie, Olive, and Dexter
Published by Candlewick Press on January 28, 2025
ISBN: 153623558X
Genres: Animals, Emotions & Feelings
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Book three in the Molly, Olive and Dexter series. In this book Molly the hare, Olive the owl and Dexter the fox, play a simple game of tag. Dexter the fox is frustrated when his owl and hare friends keep winning their chasing game until he remembers that he is clever. The feeling of being left behind or slower than others will resonate with young readers.

The best part of these books are Rayner’s  lovely watercolorlike illustrations . The pleasing pastoral scenes of fields and old stone walls, and especially the adorable animals, are charming with just a touch of sparkle added to the book jacket. The simple comfort of this gentle world is ideal for toddlers and preschoolers.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

five-stars

Bored Panda

Bored PandaBored Panda by Chuck Dillon, Mike Bender
Published by Random House on April 29, 2025
ISBN: 0593433602
Genres: Emotions & Feelings
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Panda is bored because the Wi-fi is out. Mother suggests he go for a walk in the woods. Panda thinks this will be boring and he encounters some lame characters who have boring ideas, but he discovers that they have created some pretty cool things. Maybe being bored isn’t so awful after all.

This is a worthy message albeit a somewhat predictable storyline.  The illustrations are bright and energetic, and the humor will appeal to young children. Panda’s right eye is surrounded by dark fur, similar to the logo for the content-aggregating website Bored Panda. It suggests to 4-8 year olds to put down their devices for a time.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

four-stars

The Tour at School!

The Tour at School!The Tour at School by Katie Clapham, Nadia Shireen
ISBN: 1536242985
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

SPOILER ALERT!!!! A truly funny picture book that does not skimp on all caps or exclamation points. This is a “how-to-give-an elementary-school-tour” from the perspective of a super-enthusiastic Tour Guide, as she leads an overwhelmed New Person around, from the bathrooms (with its amazing echos) to the playground (where students play “Tag-You’re It” and “Worldwide” Hairdressers”) and many other important locations in the school.

The guide is a young girl with dark brown skin and hair in two neat braids; her bright red glasses emphasize her expressions, and she has a lot of them. The tour recipient has a hoodie up, signifying his own feelings of anxiety. The mixed media collages are exuberant; vibrating with energy, humor, and cheekiness (readers will point out the poop emoji drawing in the bathroom).  The school looks like there is space for everyone in this diverse, friendly environment but the new person is clearly apprehensive.

As the tour is coming to a close, and the guide comes down from her excitement to realize the new person has gone missing, she puts herself in his shoes and realizes he is having an EMERGENCY, and she recounts her own story of being the new student, just a year ago. The new person removes his hood, two students connect, and thus begins a beautiful friendship. We never learn the names of the guide and the new person but we learn a lot about how to be a good friend to someone who needs one.

This would make an amazing beginning of year read aloud that will have students laughing and learning at the same time, and leading to good discussions about empathy and inclusion. Highly recommended for public and school library collections.

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

five-stars

Family: A Peek-Through Picture Book

Family: A Peek-Through Picture BookGenres: Animals, Family
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
three-stars

This “peek-through” picture book is one in a series by Britta Teckentrup; the cover of the book has an image of a sun setting on a herd of elephants on the savanna. The setting sun is  a series of cut-outs that continue throughout most of the book, following animal families from dusk to dawn.

Each family grouping is depicted in a different landscape or waterscape and rhyming couplets describe how the adult animals care for the smaller ones. The rhymes are soothing and gentle, if unremarkable (” .. . . near the ocean bed, (p)eaceful creatures are nurtured and fed”).

The oil pastel and collage mixed media illustrations of the animals in their habitats are the strength of this story. The animals blend into their surroundings, as they would in real life. The textures and palettes change from page to page as the sun sets, the moon rises, and we end the story where it began, with the elephants on the savanna, now with the sun rising behind them.

It would be a good bedtime story with its calming illustrations and text. Recommended as an additional purchase.

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

 

three-stars

Molly, Olive, and Dexter: Who’s Afraid of the Dark?

Molly, Olive, and Dexter: Who’s Afraid of the Dark?Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
five-stars

This is the fourth title in Catherine Rayner’s picture book  series around Molly (a rabbit), Olive (an owl), and Dexter (a fox). Young children (and adult readers) will appreciate the change in atmosphere that Rayner creates with words and expressive mixed media (watercolor and marker) illustrations as the friends navigate their way from the warm light of the setting sun through the feelings of worry and anxiety that the dark can bring.

There is a quiet, gentle tone to the text and pictures as the sun sets, and the everyday noises and sights of the daylit world. The tone and images shift into something less familiar and more sinister as the shadows lengthen and it gets darker and darker.

The three friends take turns getting worried, and then relieved at the realization that the mysterious sounds, shadows, and sensations are simply the ordinary things they see during the day. This would be a sweet story to read at bedtime, if it ended there. It becomes a better story as the friends are caught in a rainstorm. At first, the three are scared as they try to run from the feeling of something falling on  on their heads, and then the relief and delight that it’s actually just rain – nothing to be fear and an experience to enjoy.

They start seeing the night differently then, and Rayner transforms the shadowy, frightening landscape into something magical. The luminous illustrations and language bring the story depth, humor and real emotion, taking it beyond “don’t be afraid of the ordinary things in the dark” to “the quiet dark can feel magical”.  Highly recommended for picture book collections.

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

five-stars

Hello, Tobi!

Hello, Tobi!Hello, Tobi! by Andrea Cáceres
ISBN: 1536222801
Genres: Animals, Family
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

There is no doubt from the brightly colored cover with a small and scruffy brown and black dog greeting the reader front and center, who Tobi is (his name tag is on his collar), and  how he makes friends (enthusiastically). Tobi and his human family ( a dad, mom and little girl; dad is light skinned and slightly scruffy, mom and little girl have light brown skin) are all are smiling and seem to invite the reader along for their daily walk in the park.

Along the way, they meet dogs and their families enjoying time together. With simple illustrations  and prose, Cáceres demonstrates that just as there are all kinds of dogs, there are all kinds of families that are loving, and worthy of love.  Digitally created, mixed media  (marker, crayon, collage) illustrations with scribblings that evoke the energy and joy that these families are experiencing together.  Families of different colors, different configurations (including “friend families”, which this reviewer found delightful), differing shapes, differently abled  — are all seen enjoying various activities together.

Tobi is friendly and welcoming to all these families, and the families return his affection. It’s an uncomplicated story that is open in its message of inclusion and toward our fellow humans (and their dogs). Highly recommended to read aloud  with Todd Parr’s The Family Book, at the beginning of the school year, when young children are learning that loving families are not all alike, and that is a beautiful thing.

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

five-stars

Books on Bikes

Books on BikesBooks on Bikes by Brizida Magro, F. Isabel Campoy, Theresa Howell
Published by HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks on September 2, 2025
ISBN: 0063285126
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Books on Bikes
By F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell; illustrated by Brizida Magro

Lia loves to read. She reads everywhere so goes and whenever she possibly can. Summer comes along and school is closed and the library is so far away limiting her access to books. One day in the park she happens upon a man on a bike pedaling around with free books and she is overjoyed. The only problem is he has many areas to cover to gift books. She gets the idea of people helping him and starts it off herself.

This book is a love story about reading and the culture of reading. Bibliographic material is included in the back of this book.

Ages 4-8
Reviewed by MaryAnn Lopes, Elementary Librarian. Lewiston Public Schools, Lewiston, Maine.

five-stars

Hogbert

HogbertHogbert by Briony May Smith
Published by Candlewick on November 1, 2025
ISBN: 1536245038
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Hogbert is the smallest hoglet in her family but is just as excited as her brothers and sisters to go into the forest with Mommy Boar looking for “truffles and treats” for the very first time! As they head out Mommy Boar tells her brood to stay close with warnings about the Big Bad Wolf.

Before Hogbert even has time to think his snout catches wonderful and distracting scents and his family has moved on without him! Just then he meets up with a little red squirrel who is on her way to visit her granny. They trundle on together nervously hearing crunches in the woods and scurrying to safety only to find a fawn in the underbrush. This threesome continues their fairytale-like search through the beautifully illustrated woods until they are together with their families once again.

This story is as sweet and charming as they come.

4-8 years old

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

four-stars

The Search For Our Cosmic Neighbors

The Search for Our Cosmic Neighbors (Hidden Wonders) by Chloe Savage
Series: Hidden Wonders
Published by Candlewick Press on September 30, 2025
ISBN: 1536247499
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

Everyone wonders at one point or another if there is life “out there”, on other planets, in other galaxies. We stare at the sky and wonder.

Author and illustrator, Chloe Savage, takes us along on a trip into space with Captain Julie and her spaceship crew. Over the course of ten years they visit countless other planets without finding any other life. When they land on their last planet with plans to head back to Earth afterwards they seek and look and search under and over and lo and behold they meet a group of aliens. With their eyes opened to the wonders by this planet’s inhabitants will Captain Julie and her crew ever want to come home?

The watercolor illustrations are beautiful and add an ethereal quality to the book.

3-8 years old

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

three-stars