(3) K-3 A large green blob gently guides its young charge through recognizable bedtime rituals, encouraging their “horrible little one” to go to sleep. The lilting text and soothing rhymes are appropriate for the bedtime theme, even if the specifics aren’t: “Your duvet is soft and slimy. Your pillow is lovely and damp.” The warm muted-tone illustrations heighten the humor, showing Yeti settling down in her cave, Cyborg getting plugged in, Demon taking medicine, etc. (with some creatures more familiar than others: “Unspeakable Horror?” “Sentient Meteor?” The Spanish edition, Buenas noches, asquerosa cosa viscosa, will be published October 2025.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Jerry Craft. Two fifth graders vie to win their middle school’s annual creative storytelling contest. Both are already experienced storytellers: J illustrates books without words, and K writes stories without illustrations. In real life, Craft and Alexander have a lively friendly rivalry on display in social media posts and joint school visits, and this highly illustrated novel (cartoonlike black-and-white drawings appear throughout; final art unseen) is the perfect playground for their fictional ­counterparts—and for themselves, as both authors interject regularly with notes. Ever competitive, J and K try undermining each other’s chances for winning the contest by giving bad advice: draw with your nondominant hand, write what you don’t know, write in “sixth person.” Readers will soon suspect that J and K will join forces to write a book together, combining their talents, and indeed they enter the contest with their frog story collaboration, “Croak and Swagger: The Most Ribbiting Story Ever Told.” The culminating award ceremony, related with suspense and humor, isn’t the final word. Not only are readers told “To Be Continued…” but Craft and Alexander also offer “more fun…with this QR code” and write each other’s author bios with more of their trash talk.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(1) K-3 Illustrated by K-Fai Steele. Sure, Lena has buff feathers, a red comb and wattle, and the manic, beady eyes that Steele (illustrator of the Lone Wolf series, rev. 7/25, and others) is so good at ­drawing. But Lena knows she is a dinosaur. This sets her apart from the other chickens in the coop, in hilarious scenes that juxtapose her essential­ ­dinosaur-ness against her relations’ chicken-hearted natures. “Have some GUMPTION!” she clucks in disgust as the other hens cringe away from a tiny kitten; “Aim LOW and you’ll never be disappointed,” the other chickens advise her. Bailey’s (The Three Little Mittens, rev. 11/23) wry narration is paced so it practically reads itself aloud. It’s embellished by Steele’s energetic pencil and watercolor cartoons, which incorporate dialogue in speech bubbles and offer plenty of visual chuckles. When a weasel with a “magnificent set of whiskers” threatens the farm, he’s silhouetted against the sky like a B-movie villain. Of course it’s Lena, harnessing “something ancient, something primeval,” to the rescue in a comedic sequence that sends the now-whiskerless weasel running and that will have little listeners giggling. The story could end there, but it doesn’t. The young human child of the farm comes home with a book on evolution, and Lena is ­thoroughly vindicated. This makes for rather a long coda, but Steele’s light touch keeps the pages turning. A concluding note provides further scientific basis for Lena’s ­conviction and recommends two nonfiction books on the dino-bird connection.

Reviewer: Vicky Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2025

(3) K-3 In this picture book featuring the main characters from the Narwhal and Jelly series of graphic novels for transitional readers, jellyfish Jelly is frightened to be inside a “dangerous” book. Several close calls with sea creatures (and a cannon) force the cnidarian to muster courage to face “another hungry creature”--which turns out to be good friend Narwhal. Frenetic direct address to the reader, sound effects, text-size variations, and dramatic illustrations add to the energy of this entertaining introduction to these underwater characters for younger readers.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(3) K-3 Illustrated by John Ledda. There is indeed something odd about Freddie’s new babysitter, who scares the dog, doesn’t talk much, and eats garbage for dinner. Eventually Freddie realizes what is already clear from the digital art—the babysitter is three adorable raccoons inside a trench coat, the top one wearing a hat and moustache. Readers will delight in being in on the joke from the start, and the deadpan narration (“Was this babysitter raised in the wild?” Freddie wonders) amplifies the humor.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Thomas Elliott. A villainous mushroom narrates his origin story, which began when he was passed over as a pizza topping in favor of a pineapple. Intent on revenge, the self-appointed “Mushroom of Doom” builds a mushroom army to carry out its retaliation. He narrowly misses being blended into slime juice...but will this brush with death change his ways? The silly story is accompanied by similarly goofy illustrations featuring a mobster-looking mushroom.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(3) PS Illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins. In this comical picture book, an offscreen unseen narrator becomes more and more frustrated with little dog Freddie, who is having a wonderful time with various articles of clothing. He wears three pairs of pants, then a shirt as pants, then no pants at all—and so on. A monkey friend adds to the silliness. The combination of Cummins’s expressive art and Daywalt’s tongue-in-cheek, exasperated text makes for an exuberant read-aloud.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(2) PS Illustrated by Tim Miller. An egg tumbles down a mountain and lands beside another egg. The jostling causes them both to hatch, one after the other. First out comes Duckie, wide-eyed, loquacious, and looking for a friend. Then there's Snaps, a crocodile who'd just as soon beat it: "Well...Goodbye!" Duckie lays out a convincing case for staying to play, but just as Snaps seems ready to relent, an adult-looking croc comes by: "No. You cannot be friends" because "We. EAT. Duckies!" Snaps is confused: "I had no idea! I JUST GOT HERE!" After some hysterics on everyone's part, a creative culinary solution leads to the promise of lasting friendship and appetite satisfaction (fun fact: crocodiles do eat fruit). Speech bubble-heavy text with thoughtful use of repetition enhances comprehension and enjoyment. Digitally colored pen-and-ink illustrations (a mix of scene-setting introductory spreads, varied panels, and single pages) feature crisp black lines, bold hues, and slapstick-y interactions between an unlikely duo -- who, in terms of friendship, turn out to be very lucky ducks.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) 4-6 Survival Scout series. In this third installment in the humorous and informative comic-format series (starting with Lost in the Mountains, rev. 7/23), Scout (a highly capable child) and Skunk (a snarky skunk) find themselves alone in a small boat when Scout’s hapless older brother is whisked away by an offended porpoise. After making a clearheaded assessment of the situation, Scout asserts to her friend that “today, we’re going to rescue ourselves.” The book shares a common-sense overview of real-life sailing and survival skills through a combination of captions, cartoony diagrams, and word-balloon dialogue between Scout and Skunk (who, through questions and irreverent quips, serves as a stand-in for curious readers). A squall forces Scout and Skunk to apply all their sailing knowledge when it most counts; they successfully navigate through the storm, reunite with the brother, and eventually encounter land -- and Mom. Additional details appear in the back matter, including more technical know-how, recommended reading and resources, and an author’s note extolling the joys of sailing.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(3) K-3 A kid ghost has a familiar problem: an annoying younger sibling. When the beleaguered narrator observes that their friend Howl the werewolf’s little sib seems “perfect,” Howl suggests a trade: Little Howl for Little Boo. At first life with Little Howl is calm and peaceful...until the younger werewolf starts snacking on the furnishings. Howl also has complaints about Little Boo, and the two older siblings happily trade back. Frost’s cartoonlike illustrations extend the hilarity of the out-of-control youngsters.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(2) K-3 Beatrix treasures her weekly Saturday visits with her grandmother. Together they eat delicious treats, run errands, and go to the movies. But whenever she says goodbye, Beatrix feels sad, assuming Granny is lonely without her. The solution? A cat! Perplexed by the gift, Granny (who is allergic) accepts, not wanting to ruin her “fun grandma” reputation. She then one-ups Beatrix by adding three more kitties to the mix, assuming her grandchild is a cat lover. Beatrix (a dog person) jokes, “I think you need more cats,” which Granny takes seriously, bringing the cat total to a dozen. Now Beatrix is annoyed: the cats are so much work that they are a disruption to her visits, and she’s worried about Granny managing them all. After an honest discussion about the kitty conundrum, they host an adoption day, and Saturday visits return to normal, with just the two of them. Digitally produced, cartoon-style illustrations contain plenty of small, goofy details of the cats and their antics. With a nod to Gág’s Millions of Cats, this is an easygoing story about good intentions gone awry and about learning to say what you mean, even when you think you may hurt a loved one’s feelings.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2025

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jennifer Harney. On the eve of hibernation season, a well-meaning, if overbearing, owl attempts to coax Bear to sleep with a bedtime story. As with many a meta picture book, the action veers off from the expected: while Owl reads the calming words (“He yawned a big bear yawn. And opened his very quiet den”), the art shows what’s really going on: a band rocking out in Bear’s living room. Cartoon illustrations (done in “blood, sweat, tears, and Photoshop”) shift between peaceful wintry scenes and the rollicking inside of Bear’s domicile, complete with disco ball and party hats.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) PS Illustrated by Jacob Souva. Duck finds a bike with a sign that says “free” leaning against it. After taking it for a spin, Duck realizes the bike is too big: “wibble, wobble, whoops.” Then a rhino comes along, for whom the bike is too small: “thump, bump, whump.” It’s too slow for a cheetah, too fast for a turtle. Gillis’s text is simple enough to make this picture book double as an effective beginning reader, and the story makes a jaunty and poetic impression. Souva’s digital illustrations take a restrained approach, re-lying on spot images built out of blended textures that observant readers will appreciate. Eventually, a warthog crashes the bike, and a human parent finds and fixes it up for their child: “a new bike!...just right for me!” Another book might have stopped there, but this one continues as the child grows out of the bike, moves on to bigger ones, and many years later finds the old bike in the attic as an adult. Then what does the bike’s owner do? Puts it out with a “free” sign for another child to find. In this way, the story uses a light touch to provide a layered look at sustainability, modeling the values of passing things along to those who can use them and mending what’s broken, and, most of all, the appeal of bicycling around town.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rob Sayegh Jr.. Proper Badger (from Proper Badger Would Never!) is going to school (inadvertently, having boarded the wrong bus). The text enumerates poor (and sometimes extreme) classroom behaviors that Proper Badger “assuredly...undeniably...obviously did NOT” do—while the childlike illustrations humorously make clear that the text is protesting too much. Pure silliness, with perhaps some reassurance for those apprehensive about school that at least they know not to...say...eat the class pet.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) K-3 Pencil serves as both narrator and ostensible author of this story about Peanut’s adventure through spooky woods. Our narrator talks to and advises Peanut and others he meets along the way—and the characters talk back, humorously turning their own stories into a collaborative effort. The metafictive silliness is offered up via engaging use of comic conventions (panels, speech bubbles), with digital illustrations in bold colors depicting anthropomorphic Pencil, Peanut, Jelly, and Bear.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) K-3 These extraterrestrials do everything they can to delay leaving Earth. They “still have to put on their shoes” and “are busy playing a game.” When they suggest a sleepover (“It’s been soooo long since” they’ve had one), spaceships appear and beam them up. The scenario will be familiar to readers and listeners, and Gustavson’s humorous gouache, watercolor, and digital illustrations showing the mayhem the aliens cause during their stalling techniques ramp up the silliness.

Reviewer: Marva Anne Hinton

(2) K-3 Hannigan's (Spider in the Well, rev. 3/24) alternative take on "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" presents the outlandish actions and delusional interpretations of a child narrator as they attempt to justify their baseless fear of the "BEAR out there." The loudmouthed, overly confident kid with messy red hair is safe inside a cozy little cottage; however, their first-person direct address to the reader is full of overblown reactions ("SAVE YOURSELF!") and questionable assertions ("I've been told that I am very coolheaded"). When eventually confronted by an actual bear, the child escapes by crashing through a window, prompting the perturbed creature to reveal that "this is literally my house!" The fast-moving narrative is quirky and unpredictable, bouncing between topics and emotions with the speed of an active youngster. Vibrant and punchy, the candy-colored illustrations are a bold blend of painted imagery and paper collage, complete with visible brushstrokes and hints of shadow created by overlapping paper. Hand-lettered text with a vaguely retro feel, often used for emphasis or for sounds ("RATTLE, RATTLE. CREEEAK"), is fully integrated into the illustrations. Frequent shifts between page layouts (for example, from text-only on a painted black page to a double-page spread of a humorously foreshortened hand meant to silence the reader's reaction) make the book visually interesting and playful. A funny, well-crafted, and self-aware commentary on traditional fairy-tale tropes.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) K-3 The teeny-weeny unicorn is back, just as small, just as smudgy, and just as pink as he was in his original appearance in Thew Teeny-Weeny Unicorn (rev. 1/24). His goal in life remains unchanged -- get bigger -- but this time he has a genuine fairy-tale quest to undertake. A fairy princess charges him with a task: "Find for me something that grows teeny-weeny-er than you." On his epic travels our unicorn encounters a stork (foreshadowing!), a hairy leprechaun, a fierce dragon, and a wise old tree. As with many classic heroes, after a dark night of the soul our unicorn eventually finds his answer close to home. The cover teaser promises that we will discover where baby unicorns come from, and we do, but we also find out the answers to other vital questions such as what do leprechauns say to get attention? and do unicorns blush? An irresistible read-aloud if only for the pleasure of saying "teeny-weeny-er" five times. Fine-tuned wackiness, and an original, deadpan addition to the body of literature celebrating new siblings.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) K-3 In Norman Didn't Do It!: (Yes, He Did.) (rev. 9/21), porcupine Norman learned how to share his best friend Mildred, a tree, with others; here he discovers that they "don't have to do everything together." Norman suggests to Mildred that they go try something new, which leads to a (one-sided) argument and Norman storming off ("Fine! I will do different things on my own!") with his pack of supplies (including camera and snacks). After exploring caves, rowing upriver, and encountering a moose, he climbs up high and realizes Mildred would love the tree-lined view. Norman returns to Mildred to apologize and relate his adventures, knowing that they can still share everything and pursue their independence. While the main narrative is straightforward, Higgins's trademark absurdity (e.g., Norman's thinking tree Mildred is even capable of going anywhere; he seeks advice from a potted cactus named "S-A-L-E...That must spell Sally!") will have storytime audiences giggling. Comic-book features incorporated in the dynamic digital illustrations provide extra playfulness. Expressive gumdrop-shaped Norman's evolving efforts to be a good friend -- despite excessive rationalizing and rash behavior due to his underlying insecurity and naivete -- will ring true for many young readers, as will the lessons he learns by himself: for one thing, it turns out even porcupines shouldn't try to hug a cactus ("Ouch!").

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2025

(3) PS In her board book debut, dino Penelope Rex Daddy Rex assists Penelope with the arduous process of putting on her winter gear to play in the snow with her saber-toothed cat, Mittens. Higgins keeps the focus on his expressive characters, including mischievous boot-stealing Mittens. Young listeners will relate to Penelope’s humorous predicament when she finally gets outside and realizes maybe she should have listened to now-exhausted Daddy Rex when he suggested using the bathroom.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter