Picture Book Mini-Reviews

I haven't done any sort of book reviews in a very long time! Life just got too busy, and lately I've lost touch with what's new because the little branch were I work has low circulation and doesn't get lot of new books; when we do they frequently end up going to fill a hold at one of the larger branches and we never see them again due to having a floating collection. I'd love to get rid of the floating collection, which I find to be very inequitable for communities that are already at a disadvantage, but that decision is far above my pay grade.

Fortunately, we are implementing a new procedure that will allow staff a couple of days to review new books before they go out, so now I'm getting more opportunity to see the new books and make note of them for future use. There were several books in this last shipment that caught my interest, though they may not all be brand new, but new to me and at least fairly recent.

My Tiger 
Written by Joy Crowley
Illustrated by David Barrow
Gecko Press
March 2026

A young boy has pet tiger, which shocks and frightens others, but he assures them his tiger won't hurt them because he "only eats cake". Unfortunately, as one might expect, the tiger's sweet-tooth leads to a toothache and a trip to the dentist to have the cavity filled. The dentist lectures the tiger and the boy about the tiger's inappropriate sugary diet and tells them he should eat what other tigers eat. So he does. 😉

I love dark humor so this one was right up my alley! This would be great for a slightly older crowd who would get the humor and be familiar with the dentist, so I would recommend it for ages 5 and up. It would be a humorous addition to a tooth or dental-health month themed program. 

The Zoo Inside Me

by Ruth Doyle & Yessica Baeten

Andersen Press

2022 (GB), 2024 (USA)

A child tries to describe the jumble of emotions inside of him that he is not always able to contain by comparing them to different animals. Sometimes a dragon erupts, roaring and full of fire; sometimes a mischievous monkey acting out to get attention. Sometimes he's an awkward llama, standing too close and staring with wide eyes, trying to connect. Sometimes he feels like he has to hide his true colors and blend in like a chameleon, which makes him feel small and sad. He may be a little different, but there could be a half-hidden zoo inside of you, too!

I think this book would be very relatable for kids, and perhaps make it easier for them to recognize and express their emotions, while also letting them know that everyone looses control sometimes. It would be a great jumping off point for a discussion about emotions, coping mechanisms, etc. I think it would also be a really fun read-aloud, acting out all the different animals.

Take a Breath, Big Red Monster!

by Ed Emberley

LB Kids

2025

The sequel I never expected or knew I needed, but definitely love! 

While Go Away, Big Green Monster let children take charge of their fears, Take a Breath, Big Red Monster! helps them take charge of their anger, and guides them through taking deep breaths and calming down. 

This is not only a fun book, but great for modeling self-regulation. I was so excited to see this, and shocked no one had already reserved it.

All the Dogs

by Nicola Kent

Andersen Press

2022 (GB), March, 2025 (USA)

This is a delightfully simple book with sparse text using descriptive terms, sometimes opposites or contrasting terms, but not always. While the text is sparse, it has a great rhyme and rhythm when read aloud - "Big dog, small dog, hardly there at all dog. Coming dog, going dog, always to and froing dog...." 

The illustrations, which appear to be watercolor collage, are adorable and show a wide array of different types of dogs. What I really love is the incorporation of fingerprints for ears and facial features, as I had just purchased washable ink palettes specifically for doing fingerprint art. I think this would be a great storytime book for toddlers or preschoolers. I will caution that there is one page that some caregivers might have issue with, but I'm sure children would find hysterical, that shows dogs that "really need a pee..." and doing so on the nearest tree. Many wouldn't object, but know your audience. 

A Seed in the Universe

by Elyon Liu

Post Wave Children's Books

April, 2025

Starting with a seed growing inside an apple, which is eaten by a caterpillar, this book explores how nature and people relate to each other and how we all part of the same universe. The sturdy pages feature simple, bold illustrations with a limited color palette and dark outlines and engaging die-cut shapes. 

This would also be a great storytime book for toddlers or preschoolers. The text is simple, and while it doesn't rhyme, still has a pleasant rhythm when read aloud, and the illustrations are perfect for younger kids.

I Can Count! Everyday Things from 1 to 10

Written by Pippa Goodhart, Illustrated by Emily Rand

Macmillan Children's Books

February, 2026

This boardbook features lots of familiar objects for little ones to count on each page, with short simple text naming selected items, and a countdown to a rocket launch at the end. Each spread also features a prompt for further exploration and investigation. What I really love is the back matter, with tips and benefits of reading together and suggested talking points and questions to extend and deepen the exploration of the book.

While this could certainly work as storytime book for toddlers, it really shines as a lap-sit read one-on-one with a child and caregiver, and would be a great baby shower or first birthday gift.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar: POP-UP Book 

Written & Illustrated by Eric Carle

Pop-up by Threefold UK

Paper engineering by Keith Finch

World of Eric Carle

Penguin Random House

November, 2025

I spotted this at my neighborhood grocery store just the other day, and of course had to have it. It is a smaller and simplified version of the 40th Anniversary Pop-Up edition from 2009, but those are very hard to come by, especially in good condition. I was able to find a used copy, but it had a fair amount of damage, some of which I was able to repair, but not all. I'm really glad to have another pop-up version, even if it isn't as big or detailed. 

This version measures about 9"x7", and doesn't have as many or as impressive pop-ups as the 40th Anniversary. On the flip side, I think this version would hold up a little better. When I use my 40th anniversary edition, I feel like I have to guard it with my life! I'd recommend buying two of these, one to keep for yourself and one to use with children. It's a perfect size for a lap read, but also not too small to use in storytime for a smaller group. 

Know of any great new picturebooks? Especially books good for storytime? Please leave your suggestions in the comments!

Family Steam - Leprechaun Traps II

I first did this program three years ago, and it went so well and was so much fun, I knew I would do it again some time.

Title: Family STEAM Challenge - Leprechaun Traps

Ages: All ages (I had kids aged 4 to 9)

Time: 1-1/4 hours

Budget: $35 for specially purchased items, some optional. Most materials were found items or from our general craft supply stock. 

# of Participants: 10 kids and 8 adults participated, along with 3 younger & older siblings that accompanied but did not really participate

Skills/Concepts: Imagination, creativity, folklore, problem-solving, motor skills, expressive language, public speaking

Materials:  

• variety of small boxes
• large pieces of flat cardboard (cut from large boxes)
• green spray paint, $7
• cardboard tubes from paper towels
• green construction paper in two shades
• colored craft sticks 
• string
• crayons
• markers
• glitter glue
• glitter shamrock foam stickers, $10
• "gold" coins, $7
• Lucky Charms cereal (both for bait and snacking afterward), $5
• Dixie cups
• glue sticks
• liquid glue
• tacky craft glue
• tape
• scissors, both kid and adult

Prep:  

1. I collected boxes over a period of 3-4 weeks, and cut up a few large boxes to have flat pieces to build on top of. 
2. Spray-painted boxes green. 
3. I found a few examples of leprechaun traps to give them some inspiration.
4. Put all the boxes and assorted craft supplies on tables at the side of the room. 

Program: 

1. First, we briefly went over a little bit of Leprechaun lore and legend.
2. Next, I read How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace. I really like how it ends with saying maybe someday some clever child will build a trap good enough to catch the clever leprechaun, maybe one of them.
3. We discussed strategies and considerations for designing traps. 
4. I pointed out where everything was, and encouraged them to look over things and think about it for a bit before they started, and to decide if they were doing one trap as a family, working in pairs, or if each child was doing their own. I also told them if they thought of something they needed/wanted that wasn't out, to let me know and if we had it, I'd be happy to get it out for them.
5. Build!
6. As they were finishing, I began clearing remaining supplies from the supply tables and asked them as they finished to put their trap on the tables so we could line them all up for photos, then they could wash hands and have some Lucky Charms to eat. 
7. Once they were all done, I had them stand behind their traps for group and individual photos, then they each took a turn telling the group about how their trap worked, if they were comfortable doing so. [I did make sure they knew it was optional and if they weren't comfortable speaking in front of everyone they didn't have to.]

How It Went

I had an even better turnout than the first time I did this program, and it went just as well. Since the program had run over last time, I decided to save time by spray painting the boxes green ahead of time, rather than having the kids cover them with paper like the last time (I also didn't have a roll of green bulletin board paper this time). Even though this did save some time, we still ran over by about 15 minutes past the scheduled hour. 

I was happy most of the kids were willing to present their traps, though there was one child who had to leave and one who said they didn't want to talk in front of people, or even give his name, which was fine. There were also two little ones who were a little shy and couldn't speak loudly enough for everyone to hear, so they told me, then I repeated to the crowd. I think this is my favorite part of the program.

The kids really seemed to have a great time, and caregivers were appropriately involved without taking over. I was really happy with how things turned out.

What I Would Do Differently 

The only thing I would do differently is schedule more time, since it ran over both times I've done it, and allow more time for set-up and clean-up; thirty minutes is just not enough. It took 45 minutes to clean up, and I really needed at least 45 minutes for set-up. I really prefer to set up early when possible, then take a few minutes to sit somewhere quiet and gather my thoughts.

☘ Happy St. Patrick's Day! ☘

Imagination Station - Farmer’s Market

So far my new "Imagination Station" program has been relatively successful, more so than any other programming for the preschool age group, and this month we did a "Farmers Market" theme.

Program: Imagination Station – Farmer’s Market

Ages: 2-8 (most participants ranged in age from 2-5 this month, plus one older child around 9 or 10)

Number: Could accommodate up to 15 children; actual attendance was 7 children & 5 adults

Budget: About $5-10, as most items used were non-consumables that we already had or could borrow

Skills & Concepts: Imagination, creativity, expressive language, socio-emotional, fine motor, functional print, early literacy, family literacy

Stations:

1. Dramatic Play 
   
   
   

   
   I set up our versatile market stand with shopping baskets, bushel baskets, and all of our play fruits and vegetables. I added a table with all of the play food breads, and another with dairy products and artificial flowers.

   
   

   I created several different shopping lists based on color, where they grew, or ingredients for a specific dish. I also put out play money but I did not have time to create a price list (I think that is more appropriate for elementary ages than preschool anyway), so they could just make up their own prices. [Creativity, imagination, expressive language, functional print, socio-emotional skills, vocabulary, background knowledge]
   
   
2. Fruit & Vegetable Stamping
   
   
   
   
   You could use a wide variety of fruits and vegetables for this activity, but I kept it relatively simple and just used traditional carved potato stamps and added bell peppers, lemon, and celery. I cut them the night before to let them dry out a little bit so they would hold the paint better. I put out about five different colors of washable tempera paint, brushes for applying paint, pieces of heavy paper, and markers for writing names and adding any other details. I also provided aprons to help keep paint off of clothing. [Creativity, fine motor skills, spatial awareness, colors]
   
   
   
3. Reading Nook
   
   
   
   
   Since I had not had much luck getting people to check out the books I'd been pulling and putting on display, I decided to try creating a cozy reading nook to see if that would encourage them to read together. I put a soft rug down on the floor and added cushions for more comfort. I put a few books on display, and put the rest in two piles on the rug. [Print awareness, print motivation, family literacy]
   
   
4. Magnetic Letters
   
   
   
   
   I got out the magnetic letters and spelled out "Farmer's Market" on the magnetic board, and put the bin with the rest of the letters on the floor under it. [Letter recognition, print awareness, functional print, fine motor]

How It Went

I had a slightly smaller group than last month, but overall it went well. The kids *really* enjoyed shopping! So much so that the market was pretty well cleaned out in just a few minutes it seemed. Some of the kids were good about putting things back to shop again, but a couple of the younger ones had a harder time with the idea of giving up their baskets loaded with goodies. I announced that I was setting a timer for 5 minutes, and then we were all going to pretend to be the farmers and put everything back so they could shop again, which worked well. I enjoyed talking with them about their favorite fruits and vegetables, and one child was very proud that she had bought a basket full of healthy foods. Some used the prepared shopping list, some did their own thing, and some did both. 

The produce stamping was also a hit; children and caregivers both appreciated the opportunity for painting away from home. We found that less is more in applying the paint to get good clear prints with details. Some of the kids also painted just using the brushes after doing one with the fruits & vegetables, and one younger child decided to paint his face!😂

My only disappointment was that once again, the books I had selected and displayed were once again largely ignored. I had hoped creating a cozy reading nook rather than just a display would encourage caregivers to look at books with their child while there, and hopefully check out one or two, but this did not happen. Instead, they used it as a play area, and the cushions I put out for sitting on were used for jumping on or building with, while the books were ignored 😢. I am really having a hard time engaging this community in reading and supporting early literacy development with their little ones, and I don't know what to do about it. I've never had this problem at any other library I've worked.

What I Would Do Differently 

It would have been nice to have even more play food and shopping baskets, but we don’t have the budget or storage space right now. I think I might try a slightly more structured approach next time, with “assigning” (suggesting with provided name tags, but not pushing) roles such as shopper, farmer, baker, etc., so we have both sellers and shoppers rather than all shoppers, then switch. At the very least I would try giving each child a shopping list as they arrive so everyone isn’t just grabbing everything in a frenzy reminiscent of the recent pre-snowmageddon panic 😂.

Up next month at Imagination Station......Pizza Parlor!🍕 

If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments.