Format: Picture Book Fiction

I Built A Rocket Ship

I Built A Rocket ShipI Built a Rocket Ship by Anna Lazowski, Jennica Lounsbury
Published by Kids Can Press on June 2, 2026
ISBN: 152531131X
Pages: 32
Genres: Emotions & Feelings, Family Life, Grief
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
four-stars

I Built A Rocket Ship is a simple yet powerful book about what it feels like from a child’s perspective after the passing of her mother. The child’s words to her mother are somewhat epistolary: “You…said when you were gone, I’d still feel you near me. But I don’t. Not really. So I’m building a rocket ship out in the backyard.” The child is very tenacious in her quest to build a giant rocket ship out of cardboard and she brings in her special items, including her cat. As she stares at the constellations, she imagines her mother up there, and it’s clear how much she is grieving the loss of her. The illustrations and muted colors are very soft and comforting for readers. This is a lovely addition to any picture book collection, but especially sections about grief and loss. Recommended for ages 4+.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

 

 

four-stars

Lulu and the Others

Lulu and the OthersLulu and the Others: A True Story―A Charming Picture Book about a Bonobo Monkey for Kids (Ages 4-8) by A.G. Ford, Eliot Schrefer
ISBN: 0063205378
Genres: Animals, Emotions & Feelings, Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction, Picture Book Nonfiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads
three-stars

We are introduced to Lulu, a bonobo who lives very similarly to her human family members. Lulu can look at comic books, play with her “sister,” get food out of the refrigerator, and use the bathroom just like her family. But after some time, Lulu seems sad and uninterested in life. The parents realize it’s time for Lulu to meet the apes on the island where she came from.

Based on a true story of bonobo rehabilitation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the apes are raised in safe places until they’re ready to go to the island Lola ya Bonobo (Paradise for Bonobos). When the apes are reintroduced back into the wild, there is always a unique transitioning period to where the bonobos learn who they actually are. Lulu’s story is one of those stories and shows readers how bonobo rehabilitation can be done.

A sweet and educational story about our close relatives, the bonobos.

Recommended for ages 2-6.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath

three-stars

Emilia Wishing

Emilia WishingEmilia Wishing by Belen Medina, Magdalena Mora
Published by Random House Studio on June 9, 2026
ISBN: 0593905229
Genres: Cultural / Latin America, Family, Family Life
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads
three-stars

Emilia wishes that a lot of things were different. Different food at home, a nicer neighborhood to live in, a fancier place to shop. Her wanting for more intrudes on her everyday life, with wishful images taking over illustrations in the first half of the book until they form a full two-page spread: Emilia stands in bright colors, clutching shopping bags and surrounded by the items she wishes “could all be hers.” But these wishes are not to be – the implied gap between real life and Emilia’s wishes is a lack of money. The clothes she wants are to be purchased on layaway, and will stay at the store today. In the second half of the story, our focus shifts from Emilia to her mama, who works “day and night” to provide for her family. Instead of Emilia’s wishes, we see her mama’s hard work, fatigue, diligence, and finally, pride. The joyous image on the book’s final spread isn’t Emilia’s wish, it’s mama in her beautiful new dress, finally fully paid for, “glittering like the warm sun.” And that is all that Emilia wants.

Belen Medina (author of Daughter of the Light-Footed People) and Magdalena Mora (illustrator of Barrio Rising and Tomatoes in My Lunchbox) have created a gentle, loving tribute to parents who make wishes come true with limited resources. Lyrical language (a “sprawling, manicured lawn,” “sizzling pavement”) and the message underscoring the humanity of parents gear this story to school-age readers. Mora’s illustrations in pencil, charcoal, watercolor, and ink soften the edges of this big lesson, and use color to effortlessly communicate the differences between wishes and reality. Emilia and her family are cued Latine.

Reviewed by Carolyn Gallmeyer, Youth Services Librarian, Lithgow Public Library, Augusta

three-stars

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