Format: Picture Book Fiction

Ruffles and the Bouncy, Bouncy Ball

Ruffles and the Bouncy, Bouncy BallRuffles and the Bouncy, Bouncy Ball by David Melling
ISBN: 1536241385
Genres: Animals, Emotions & Feelings, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

Ruffles loves playing and doing all the things that dogs love to do; but his favorite activity is playing with his blue, bouncy ball. However, he cannot find it anywhere. He looks in all the places a bouncy ball could possibly be. When his friend Ruby comes over, they remember it could possibly be in the park. They look everywhere a bouncy ball could possibly be…in the park. They determine that the bouncy ball is lost forever. Ruby helps Ruffles find other ways to play, and they discover a sock to play tug-of-war with.

This book is the seventh in a series of Ruffles books where the dog encounters situations that many preschool children encounter. This one is the situation where toys are sometimes lost, and actually lost forever. Sometimes a friend can help us remember that it will be ok. The Ruffles series are visually attractive with primary colors and sweet illustrations.

Recommended for Ages 2-5.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

three-stars

Dawn Patrol

Dawn PatrolDawn Patrol: A Father and Daughter Surfing Story by Rob Sayegh Jr.
ISBN: 1536235091
Genres: Family
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Dawn Patrol

Author/Illustrator Rob Sayegh Jr.

This picture book for ages 4-8 depicts the routine of a father and daughter, who rise early and set out together for the shore to surf, calling themselves the Dawn Patrol.  They spend time on the water together, learn about perseverance, and make memories over the years. At the end of the book, the grown daughter is shown with her own young son, both on surfboards. This book celebrates the parent-child relationship and shows how little moments add up to a lifetime of love. While it may be a more enjoyable book for nostalgic parents than young children, it is a testament to how passions can be passed down generations.

4 stars

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

four-stars

The Haunted Scavenger Hunt: A Spook-tacular Storybook

Genres: Adventure, Holiday, Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General, Suspense
Format: Picture Book Fiction
four-stars

The Haunted Scavenger Hunt: A Spook-tacular Storybook

Author: Steve Patschke

This Halloween picture book for ages 3-7 is about what happens when four friends find a mysterious box with the message “Don’t look at it, don’t touch it, don’t open it!” They disregard the warning and by doing so, embark on a spooky scavenger hunt that leads them to the basement of a haunted house. One by one, the friends go missing, until they are reunited in a surprise ending.  This humorous and suspenseful book would be an enjoyable engaging read-aloud, since the characters repeatedly and predictably ignore the warnings given in sets of three.

4 stars

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

four-stars

Winter is Wonderful

Winter is WonderfulWinter Is Wonderful (Emma Dodd's Love You Books) by Emma Dodd
ISBN: 1536243957
Genres: Animals, Family
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
five-stars

Winter is Wonderful

This picture book for ages 2-5 is the latest in the Love You Books series by author/illustrator Emma Dodd. It depicts a sweet fox family enjoying being together and making memories during the wintertime. The foil illustrations paired with the lyrical rhyming text makes this book a lovely choice for a holiday gift. It’s the perfect read-aloud to read before bed while cuddling by the fire when it’s snowing outside. It’s impossible to read without smiling.

5 stars

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

five-stars

Shoes off please

Shoes off pleaseShoes Off, Please by Helena Ku Rhee, Myo Yim
Published by Random House Children's Books on June 17, 2025
ISBN: 0593649621
Genres: Family
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Mina and her mom have a household policy of removing their shoes when they enter their house. When Mina’s friends come over they don’t like the hassle of taking their shoes off and Mina and her mom have to clean up the floors after they leave, having a heartfelt conversation about their own cultural traditions, their importance to their household, and how to explain this to her friends. Once she does this her friends are more than happy to respect their house and their traditions.

4-9 years old

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

four-stars

Daisy Rewilds

Daisy RewildsDaisy Rewilds by Kerascoët, Margaret McNamara, Sébastien Cosset
ISBN: 0593125673
Genres: Nature
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

“Daisy Rewilds” is a picture book written by Margaret McNamara and illustrated by Kerascoet about a girl named Daisy who grows up loving nature. As a baby she composted her own baby food, as an example of her environmentalism. She starts to sprout greens in her hair and eventually grows into a whole wild garden. The book is fun and beautiful, but some of the words seem a little big for the intended audience. A suggested additional purchase where nature picture books are popular.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.

three-stars

The Teeny-Weeny Unicorn’s Great Big Wish

The Teeny-Weeny Unicorn’s Great Big WishThe Teeny-Weeny Unicorn's Great Big Wish by Shawn Harris
Published by Random House Children's Books on March 4, 2025
ISBN: 0593571916
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

What happens when a teeny-weeny unicorn has a wish to be big, to have something smaller than his teeny-weeny self in his life? He goes off to find things to wish on but even that is problematic for such a small unicorn that can’t lift or pull much. His frustration grows but he doesn’t quit until his Big Wish comes true. Sweet and silly, and heartfelt all rolled into one.

This book’s illustrations are as colorful and fantastical as anyone would think a unicorn is.

Ages 3-7

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

three-stars

My Abuela is a Bruja

My Abuela is a BrujaMy Abuela Is a Bruja by Lorena Alvarez Gomez, Mayra Cuevas
ISBN: 0593480635
Genres: Cultural / Latin America, Family, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

An homage to the Native Peoples of Puerto Rico; My Abuela is a Bruja paints a beautiful portrait of what it’s like to be connected to a line of women who practice the art of being a “bruja.” The qualities of being an Island bruja include walks along the island and getting to know the lush flora and fauna, dancing, gardening, cooking, and feeling the magic of her ancestors inside her. The magic of abuela is illustrated beautifully and vibrantly on each page by Lorena Alvarez Gómez who’s known for books such as The Magical Yet, and The Curious Why. The back pages explain in an Author’s Note that the book is based on the author’s own experiences with her abuela and the history of her people, the Borikén. There’s also a Glossary of Abuela’s Spanish Words included in the book and recipes to make Abuela’s Sofrito and Flan. Children of all backgrounds will enjoy getting to know Puerto Rico’s culture a bit better after exploring this book.  It’s published simultaneously in Spanish. Recommended for ages 4-9.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

four-stars

Maisy Big, Maisy Small

Maisy Big, Maisy SmallMaisy Big, Maisy Small: A Book of Rhyming Opposites by Lucy Cousins
Published by Candlewick Press ISBN: 1536236292
Genres: Babies/Infants
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
five-stars

Maisy Big, Maisy Small is a re-release in Lucy Cousins’ beloved Maisy series. It now features a new, updated cover different from its release in 2007. Cousins does a wonderful job covering the opposites for children to learn in an entertaining and colorful way. Each page uses the primary colors in Cousins’ classic style. This is the type of book that gets read over and over again in early childhood education, and for good reason. The rhymes are incredibly engaging and Maisy is an irresistible character for kids. Perfect for read-alouds or laptime, this new version is delightful. Recommended for ages 2-5.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath. 

 

 

five-stars

Cats in Construction Hats

Cats in Construction HatsCats in Construction Hats (Cats in Hats) by Leeza Hernandez, Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
Published by Random House on April 8, 2025
ISBN: 0593706846
Genres: Animals, Vehicles
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

Reminiscent of both  Dr. Seuss’s One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and Richard Scarry books.  Cats in Construction Hats features colorful cats in colorful hard hats building a cat house. “Yellow cat. Green hat. Dig this. Clear that. Green cat. Orange hat. Mix this. Pour that.” Every four lines is a rhythmic, rhyming quatrain ending with “at”. Except when their carelessness results in a spectacular accident, “BOOM! CRASH! SPLAT!” and an exclamation,“RATS!”. Personally, I am not a big fan of rats but observant readers will be able to spot them on every page. (Cats and rats getting along and working together.) They will also delight in seeing bulldozer, dump truck, cement mixer, forklift, and hydraulic crane. This book could be used for story time but probably a better lap book. Overall, it is a bouncy, fun book that preschoolers will have fun scrutinizing and discussing the illustrations. I imagine an extension sorting activity where children match the cats to their colorful construction hats, perhaps placing them in a cubicle in the cat house. By the way, I love the plentiful scratching posts incorporated in the house design. (A feature I missed until about the fourth reading. This is why this book needs to be read again and again! I started out giving it 3 stars and then went back and changed my rating to 4 stars as I recognized its genius!)

Book 2 – Cats in Conductor Hats: A Train Adventure is schedule to be published in June, 2026.

Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library

four-stars