Picture books are one of the first ways children learn about their place in the world. Their stories open readers up to new environments, new behavior, and new outlooks on life. In these collected books, characters learn about emotions, kind behavior, and the value of relationships. Some show these values through fables, gentle lessons told by animals and bright illustrations. Others give explicit instructions about what to do with certain feelings. But all focus on the same essential message—making the next generation better humans.

Elementary

Brown, Abbie Farwell. Friends. illus. by Camila Carrossine. ISBN 9798765961254.
Cohan, George M. You’re a Grand Old Flag. illus. by Ruth Hammond. ISBN 9798765961377.
Denadic, Kristina. Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. illus. by Kristina Denadic. ISBN 9798765961162.
Gunawan, Nadia. Mary Had a Little Lamb. illus. by Nadia Gunawan. ISBN 9798765961315.
Higley, Brewster. Home on the Range. illus. by Steve Brown. ISBN 9798765961285.
Loman, Sam. London Bridge. illus. by Sam Loman. ISBN 9798765961407.
Malloy, Brigid. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. illus. by Brigid Malloy. ISBN 9798765961520.
Milne, A.A. Wind on the Hill. illus. by Jieting Chen. ISBN 9798765961551.
Phan, Samantha Jo. This Little Piggy. illus. by Samantha Jo Phan. ISBN 9798765961193.
Potter, Beatrix. We Have a Little Garden. illus. by Holli Conger. ISBN 9798765961490.
Saccani, Agnes. Old Mother Hubbard. illus. by Agnes Saccani. ISBN 9798765961346.
Sandoval, Victor. Old McDonald Had a Farm. illus. by Victor Sandoval. ISBN 9798765961469.
Tobing, Fia. Hush Little Baby. illus. by Fia Tobing. ISBN 9798765961223.
Wheatcroft, Ryan. The Railway Train. illus. by Ryan Wheatcroft. ISBN 9798765961438.
ea vol: 24p. (Exploration Storytime: Nursey Rhymes Reimagined). Teacher Created Materials. Aug. 2024. pap. $9.99.
PreS-K–This series is a beautiful introduction to reading. Each of the warm and colorful books invite readers into a comforting world. There’s are familiar rhymes alongside ones that might be new even to adults. However, all are rich in rhythm and easy recitation. Many of these inclusive books focus on lessons of friendship and love, and each feature characters of diverse skin tones and abilities. After each rhyme, there are tips to encourage literacy and reading comprehension. These are good choices not just for home learning, but for preschool curriculum and units as well. There are tips for discussion, writing, and artistic responses to the rhymes. There’s even history and science connections to be made, like the history shown in You’re a Grand Old Flag, or the design elements discussed in London Bridge. It’s amazing what you can teach from these basic rhymes, and a throughline through all the titles in the series is unadulterated joy. VERDICT An engaging resource for parents and educators of young children.
 

Castro, Andrea. Peter Pan. ISBN 9781538396179.
Inkson, Kathryn. Black Beauty. ISBN 9781538396117.
Mazali, Gustavo. The Secret Garden. ISBN 9781538396209.
Peinador, Angeles. The Wind in the Willows. ISBN 9781538396261.
Samaniego, Cesar. Treasure Island. ISBN 9781538396230.
Simpson, Michelle. The Jungle Book. ISBN 9781538396148.
FEDERICA, Alice in Wonderland. ISBN 9781538396056.
Tayal, Amit. The Wizard of Oz. ISBN 9781538396087.
ea vol: 24p. (Picture Book Classics). Rosen/Windmill. Jul. 2024. Tr. $26.27.
PreS-Gr 4–This series offers eight classic children’s books, cleverly summarized and packaged for even the youngest readers. Each story includes basic descriptions and dialogue, condensing classics like Alice in Wonderland and Treasure Island to a brisk three to five sentences per page. Despite their brevity, the books are faithful summaries. All the story beats are true to the actual text, and not twisted to fit popular film plots. In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy’s slippers are the original silver and not ruby. Mowgli’s end in The Jungle Book is not Disney’s version, but Kipling’s. Occasionally some cartoon speech bubbles will pepper their way into the illustrations, but only to enhance, not to convey vital information. Each book has a different illustrator, but they all include colorful images, with rounded, cartoonish figures shown in action. Some volumes include especially beautiful illustrations, like the lush garden scenes in The Secret Garden, or Black Beauty’s majestic horses depicted with watercolor-like realism. VERDICT An easy way to introduce children’s classics to young readers.
 

Corrigan, Eamonn. The Dog in the Manger. ISBN 9781684500611.
––––. The Fox and the Crow. ISBN 9781684500642.
––––. The Lion and the Mouse. ISBN 9781684500673.
Tomlinson, Marla. The Boy and the Nuts. ISBN 9781684500581.
Williamson, Margaret. Belling the Cat. ISBN 9781684500550.
––––. Two Travelers and a Bear. ISBN 9781684500703.
ea vol: illus. by Mark Harmon 24p. (SEL Fables). Rosen/Norwood House. Jul. 2024. Tr. $25.27.
Gr 1-3–Designed for classroom use rather than pleasure reading, each book in this series of fables is broken into short chapters, with advanced vocabulary bolded and defined in a glossary. Theses stories are contemporary retellings of Aesop fables. Sometimes that means the illustration is peppered with modern touches, but for some it means completely changing the story to appeal to modern readers. Regardless, the fables move along briskly, managing to be simple without sounding robotic. Each story ends with a moral and conversation prompts, and includes sensory descriptions and interesting details, allowing for a rich literacy-building experience. There are plenty of ways these titles could be used for Language Arts lessons; they are a perfect first foray into literature study, as the morals are clear without being saccharine. These works don’t shy away from sad endings. Sometimes a friendship is broken, sometimes things lost aren’t regained. Such is life. VERDICT An early reader series pushing past phonics and into comprehension.
 

Fraser, Lu. The Littlest Yak: Home Is Where the Herd Is. illus. by Kate Hindley. 32p. (The Littlest Yak: Bk. 3). Peachtree. Oct. 2024. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781682637548.
PreS-Gr 2–It takes a remarkable book to immerse readers so completely that they actually feel a part of the world on the page. The Littlest Yak does that and then some, the lovely illustrations whisking readers away to the snowcapped mountains. The glowing snow is beautiful, and the wintery mountains are filled with thick-furred yaks with wide eyes and adorable noses, just screaming to be cuddled. Aside from the adorable illustrations, the rhyming text already feels like a recited classic. Tiny yak Gertie has a crisis when her herd migrates to a new mountain. She’s sentimental about her (admittedly inviting) cave of hoarded treasures. While it’s fun to spot what silly things are nestled among her belongings, Gertie soon learns that focusing on your belongings distracts from the most important parts of life. This is a tale about learning the true meaning of home–it’s not the stuff you have, it’s the people around you. VERDICT A warm hug of a story, perfect for snuggly group reads for all ages.
 

Herweck Rice, Dona. Buddies Like Us. illus. by Alex Patrick. ISBN 9798765961261.
––––. Cam and Sam’s Colorful Adventure. illus. by Brian Martin. ISBN 9798765961476.
––––. Here on the Ground. illus. by Steffane McClary. ISBN 9798765961537.
––––. My Favorite Things. illus. by Gayoung Hong. ISBN 9798765961209.
––––. Our Community Park. illus. by Giorgia Broseghini. ISBN 9798765961353.
––––. Ready for School. illus. by Amanda Morrow. ISBN 9798765961322.
––––. Sitting on Mama’s Knee. illus. by Tilia Rand-Bell. ISBN 9798765961230.
––––. Tool Talk. illus. by Laura Bee. ISBN 9798765961414.
––––. Wondrous and Marvelous. illus. by Kate Fallahee. ISBN 9798765961179.
Neiley, Dani. Watching Plants Grow. illus. by Ola Szpunar. ISBN 9798765961506
Rabedeaux, Avery. Ezra Watches the Weather. illus. by Deb Johnson. ISBN 9798765961568.
Smith, Jody. The Way to Go. illus. by Melanie Demmer. ISBN 9798765961445.
ea vol: 24p. (Exploration Storytime: Read & Learn). Teacher Created Materials. Jul. 2024. pap. $9.99.
PreS-Gr 3–This collection is designed to follow a child as they grow in reading stamina and ability. The books cover a range of reading levels, from very simple to more complex language that takes time and patience to work through. For instance, My Favorite Things is a short and bouncy portrayal of sensory experience in a day, with only a few words per page. Meanwhile, Cam and Sam’s Colorful Adventure is a longer narrative told through dialogue and action. Some stories work well for memorization and recitation over group storytimes. Others will be available as children grow into independent reading. These titles have overarching themes of the world surrounding children, and how they can learn and react to different places and ideas they’ll encounter as they grow. Ideas presented in extension activities found at the end of the book will encourage continued learning through conversation and play. VERDICT A diverse set of stories for a wide span of emerging readers.
 

Miller, Connie Colwell. Adam Rocks…and Max Rolls! illus. by Helena Perez Garcia. ISBN 9798892001199.
––––. Carlos and Rosie in Space. illus. by Rose Skelton. ISBN 9798892001205.
––––. Emmy on the Dot. illus. by Rose Skelton. ISBN 9798892001212.
––––. Kimberly’s Way with Words. illus. by Helena Perez Garcia. ISBN 9798892001229.
––––. Too Much Noise for Mia!illus. by Rose Skelton. ISBN 9798892001236.
––––. William Is Loading…. illus. by Helena Perez Garcia. ISBN 9798892001243.
ea vol: 24p. (Autism Looks Like Me). Amicus. Dec. 2024. Tr $25.95.
PreS-Gr 3–This series shares stories of children at various levels on the autism spectrum. Titles tackle facets like processing time, sensory overload, communication skills, stimming, and rigid routines, taking readers through reactions and strategies in a clear, straightforward way. The material isn’t presented as problems and solutions, but explores the “why” behind actions, and the importance of sharing the root causes or emotion spurring behaviors. It’s about mitigating difficult moments. These titles are best used as a teaching tool rather than a spotlight. Have them in your library and let students encounter them organically. If issues arise throughout the school year, use them in small settings. VERDICT These incredible books are especially useful as students are learning how to interact with others and are forming the foundations for empathy.
 

Phillips-Bartlett, Rebecca. Albus Anger and the Argument. ISBN 9781534547230.
––––. Anya Anxiety Wants to Join In. ISBN 9781534547261.
––––. Eddie Excitement Goes Too Far. ISBN 9781534547292.
––––. Suki Sadness Has to Say Goodbye. ISBN 9781534547322.
ea vol: 24p. (Mindful Monsters). Greenhaven/KidHaven. Jul. 2024. Tr $26.23.
Gr 1-3–The Mindful Monsters in this series are awfully cute. They’re bright, blobby shapes, perfect for very young children. Each book features a monster with a different overarching emotion: sadness, anger, anxiety, and overexcitement. As the monsters encounter stressful situations, the physical and emotional sensations they experience are clearly described, and a trusted adult helps them work through it, sharing strategies for acknowledging and working through emotions. All the advice centers around understanding why these feelings are happening, with a heavy emphasis on safety in those extreme moments. VERDICT A great series for helping preschoolers to early elementary students figure out what they’re feeling and how they can handle it, especially at school.
 

Zimmerman, Andrea. Plumber Pearl!illus. by Dan Yaccarino. 32p. (Big Jobs, Bold Women: Bk. 3). Holiday House. Oct. 2024. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780823457878.
PreS-Gr 1–Books that peek behind the curtain are always fun. The newest edition to the “Big Jobs, Bold Women” series shows the basics of what a plumber handles, and it does so with whimsical aplomb. Pearl, a grinning plumber, is called to fix a building with leaks everywhere. The story trundles along from there with a bouncy rhyme scheme. The rhymes are enhanced with juicy onomatopoeias—the building is full of creaks and squeaks and chugs and glugs. They’re the kind of texts readers can sink their teeth into. It’s so much fun to read, it’s almost easy to miss the valuable lessons included. Pearl’s work teaches persistence; even when something isn’t immediately accomplished, she keeps trying. The title also addresses collaboration, as a helpful mouse pal keeps squeaking until Pearl listens. Only then is the ultimate problem (and solution) discovered. VERDICT This enjoyable read-aloud is a complete victory.