23. Bruce Saves the Planet

 

23. Bruce Saves the Planet. (Mother Bruce series). Ryan T. Higgins. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, series book, 3 stars]

First sentence: Bruce was a bear who liked to be by himself. Which wasn't easy as the mom of four geese and three mice. So every once in a while, Bruce would pack a lunch and ride out to find a stream to fish in. there he would spend a day filled with peace and quiet. But this was NOT going to be one of those days.

Premise/plot: Bruce is NOT out to to save the planet. The causes others infer he is supporting, well, he just does not care at all, not even a little bit. But that won't stop Bruce from "saving the planet" and pleasing the environmentalists and the like. Bruce may not want to get involved in political issues, but, he's dragged into politics kicking and screaming.

My thoughts: Not my favorite or best Bruce title. It was bordering on obnoxiously agenda-fied. Bruce's grumpy nature and his apathy towards all the messages saved it a bit. Again not my personal favorite or best, but it could have been a lot worse.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

22. Lone Wolf Gets a Pet

 

22. Lone Wolf Gets a Pet. Kiah Thomas. Illustrated by K-fai Steele. 2024. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, early chapter book, humor, animal fantasy]

First sentence: Wolf lived by himself. His mornings were quiet. His evenings were still. He never had to tell anyone where he was going. Today, he was going for a ride to buy jellybeans. Wolf loved jellybeans.

Premise/plot: How far will Wolf go to get jellybeans????? When the store is OUT of jellybeans, Wolf realizes that the only way to get his jellybean fix is to win a local competition for PETS. Will Wolf get a pet????? Maybe. Maybe not. Will he get his jellybeans????

My thoughts: I absolutely LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. Did I love it more than Lone Wolf Goes to School???? Maybe. Both books are so fantastic. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series! I love how funny the books are. Lone Wolf is a hoot.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

21. George Washington's Spectacular Spectacles

 

21. George Washington's Spectacular Spectacles. Selene Castrovilla. Illustrated by Jenn Harney. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book biography, history, j nonfiction]

First sentence: George Washington had to wear glasses. It was secret. He hid them in his pocket and never showed anyone. It was too embarrassing. He worried: glasses made him look odd! He feared: glasses made him look weak! He frowned: glasses made his nose look big!

Premise/plot: Did you know George Washington wore glasses? This picture book biography--more a biographical slice than a proper biography--shares an incident with young readers from American history. George Washington was trying to calm down angry soldiers who had not been paid for their service. He had a speech prepared, however, when it came time to give it....he found he couldn't read it without his glasses. Will his glasses save the day or ruin it?

My thoughts: I'd not heard of this particular incident before reading this picture book. (Newburgh Conspiracy) I enjoyed this one. Though I don't believe I've read the author before, she states in her note that this is her fifth book, I believe, about George Washington. I will have to see if my library has them.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

20. Lone Wolf Goes to School

 

20. Lone Wolf Goes to School. Kiah Thomas. Illustrated by K-Fai Steele. 2024. 56 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, early chapter book, animal fantasy] 

First sentence: Wolf could count his friends on one hand. Three, two, one...NONE! And that was the way he liked it. Wolf ate alone. Rode his bike alone. Played tennis alone. But there were some places that Wolf couldn't be alone.

Lone Wolf Goes To School stars a LONE WOLF who is set in his ways. Throughout the chapter book, Lone Wolf is given plenty of opportunities to change his ways, to welcome the world, to have his heart grow 'three sizes too big.' Yet time and time again, Lone Wolf prefers to stay true to himself--a loner. There's a scene that seems almost predictable. You would naturally expect in a children's book especially that the 'lesson' or the 'moral' or the 'point' of the story would be to show Lone Wolf making friends, of learning to enjoy being around others, etc. But the author is playing with audience expectations. (If not expectations of children then expectations of adults. HENCE why it is so funny.) Buster Keaton explained this best when talking about gags: "I always want the audience to out-guess me but then I double cross them."

LONE Wolf Goes to School was clever and funny. I highly recommend.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

19. Gnome and Rat: Time to Party

  

19. Gnome and Rat: Time to Party. Lauren Stohler. 2024. 80 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, early chapter book, early graphic novel]

First sentence: Attention, everyone! I have a very important announcement! Soon, I will be one hundred and thirty-three years old! I want to do three big things for my birthday, but I don't know what!

Premise/plot: Gnome and Rat are friends--best friends--starring in the early graphic novel Time to Party. Both Rat and Gnome have things to celebrate--Rat wants to have his own something to celebrate.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this early chapter book/early graphic novel. It is both. I didn't love, love, love, love, love this one as much as the first book. The first Gnome and Rat book really wowed me with how delightful, fun, and original it was. The second and third books (yes, I read them out of order) are nice--nice enough at the very least. I enjoyed the second book more than the third. I think early readers in the again-again-again series phase, will binge through all the books in the series.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

18. Towed by Toad

 

18. Towed by Toad. Jashar Awan. 2024. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, picture book, early reader]

First sentence: Breakfast! 
No time, Pop! Can't stop!
Big cars. Little cars.
Old cars. New cars.

Premise/plot: This is an early reader starring a Toad who tows. Toad has a tow business. But what happens when Toad needs a tow?

My thoughts: This early reader is written in rhyme and packed with action. It isn't the absolutely most thrilling read--if you're older. But for a newly emergent beginning reader this one I think would prove enjoyable.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

17. Big Changes for Plum

 

17. Big Changes for Plum. Matt Phelan. 2025. [January] 128 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, animal fantasy, early chapter book, j fiction]

First sentence: The days of summer are long and slow, warm and comfortable. The animals of the Athensville Zoo did not have a care in the world. Summer doesn't last forever, but on this late August morning, it felt like it might never end. 

Premise/plot: Big Changes for Plum is the final book in the Plum series by Matt Phelan. Plum, our hero, is NOT at all comfortable with all the many, many, many changes coming to Athensville Zoo. It has been closed for renovations and almost all the animals shipped to the other locations [zoos, etc.]. Plum remains behind--by choice, sneakily. Can Plum find a way to stop change from coming? Will his friends return to the zoo?

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I have enjoyed this series so much. Some more than others--naturally. But this one was a delight. Many--like Plum--find change uncomfortable and unwelcome. I think the series as a whole should be recommended to young readers.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

16. Toto

    

16. Toto. Hyewon Yum. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book]

First sentence: Sometimes I wonder
how I would look without Toto.
Would I look pretty?
Would I look plain?

Premise/plot: A little girl with a birthmark (a birthmark she has named Toto) starts school and makes a friend.

My thoughts: I liked this one. I did. I'm not sure I absolutely loved, loved, loved it. But I strongly liked it. I will always be the first to check out stories with characters with birthmarks because of my own experiences. I am glad that more books are coming out in recent years. The text is simple and joyful.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

15. Trouble Finds Plum!

   

Trouble Finds Plum. Matt Phelan. 2023. 128 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, animal fantasy, early chapter book, j fiction]

First sentence: Some days are just perfect for a trip to the zoo. Clear blue skies. Pleasant sunshine. Warm, but not sticky hot. This was not one of those days.

Premise/plot: Trouble Finds Plum is part of a series. If GoodReads bothered to include the number in the title or description, I could place it within the series for you. Plum, our hero, is in TROUBLE, big trouble thanks to a gang of bossy, demanding raccoons who have 'invaded' the zoo and are demanding special treatment. It may just take all the animals in the zoo working together and some brainstorming besides to clear up this mess.

My thoughts: I have really loved some of this series. I've liked some of the books in the series. This one was good. I definitely enjoyed it. Plum and friends are super fun. 

IT is the third book in the series.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

14. Ratnip: Lost and Found in the City

 

14. Ratnip: Lost and Found in the City. Cam Higgins. Illustrated by Allison Steinfeld. 2025. [February] 128 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, animal fantasy, early chapter book]

First sentence: "First one out of bed is a rotten egg!" Mmm, rotten egg. I licked my lips. Rotten eggs are the slimiest. And the yummiest! My nose wiggled as I imagined the deliciously stinky stench of a rotten egg. My whiskers twitched as I almost tasted its gooey greenness.

Premise/plot: Ratnip is....you guessed it...a rat. He and his large family live in the city in an abandoned pizzeria. Not all of his siblings are comfortable enough going out on the streets to scrounge for food, but Ratnip finds it quite the adventure. Humans are so curious! In this first book in a new series, Ratnip finds a cell phone and becomes determined to return this lost object to its owner. But how is this to be achieved? After all, he's a rat and the phone is awkward to lug around! It might just take some friends new and old to get the job done.

My thoughts: I liked this one. I am always happy to give new early chapter books a try. Would I have liked it more if it had been mice instead of rats? Perhaps. I do always enjoy animal fantasy. This one was cute enough--well, if you can get over rats and cute being in the same sentence. There are three more books already in the works for this series. And the author has another series as well. 

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

13. Pasta! These Names Are Fun To Say

 

13. Pasta! These Names are Fun To Say. Felice Arena. Illustrated by Beatrice Cerocchi. 2024. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars]

First sentence: These pasta words are fun to say...
macaroni
rigatoni
cannelloni
Pasta! 

Is the book strictly necessary? Of course not! Is the book fun? Strongly leaning towards yes. What I can say with confidence is that THESE [pasta] NAMES ARE FUN TO SAY. So the book delivers on its promise.

The book is straightforward enough. It is a celebration of all things pasta--mostly. It views pasta as a way of life. (Almost). It's silly and exuberant.

I definitely enjoyed this one. I didn't love the illustrations though I did love the cover. 

It reminded me of one of my favorite Sesame Street songs/skits about tortellini.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

12. Gnome and Rat: First Snow

12. Gnome and Rat First Snow (Gnome and Rat #3) Lauren Stohler. 2024. [November] 80 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, graphic novel, early chapter book]

First sentence: A four-letter word for 'something fluffy and white, that falls overnight...'

Premise/plot: Gnome and Rat star in their third adventure together in Lauren Stohler's Gnome and Rat First Snow! Rat and Gnome have been invited to Rat's family event Nest Fest. But the journey to get there, well, it is packed with a lot of missteps and adventures. 

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved the first book. I haven't read the second book--still on order at the library. The third book is one I wanted to love: it sounds FUN. However, it just didn't charm and delight me like the first book. Though the misadventures were technically different/distinct, the journey to get there just seemed so slow-paced to me. Granted I am NOT the target audience, obviously. I do enjoy the characters. I will definitely read the second book when it arrives.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

11. Noodles on a Bicycle

 

11. Noodles on a Bicycle. Kyo Maclear. Illustrated by Gracey Zhang. 2024. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, Caldecott Honor, historical picture book, picture book]

First sentence: When the deliverymen set off in the morning, we sit outside
and watch
and wait
for the flicker of pedal and wheel.

Premise/plot: Noodles on a Bicycle is a historical picture book set in Tokyo, Japan. Soba deliverymen are the star of the show--the scene stealers. 

My thoughts: This one left me speechless-mostly. This was my first introduction to the subject! It would be an understatement to say I was captivated and in awe--at the whole concept let alone the execution. I loved learning something new. I loved the story. I loved the WRITING. Such a beautiful narrative style. I enjoyed the illustrations.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

10. A Mouse Family Christmas

  

10. A Mouse Family Christmas. Deborah Underwood. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book, holiday, Christmas] 

First sentence: On Christmas Eve, the house on the corner was quiet downstairs...and joyful upstairs, as the big, bustling Mouse family prepared for Christmas.

Premise/plot: A mouse family makes a lonely [old] man happy during a snow storm when they decorate his Christmas tree in the night.

My thoughts: Is it odd to be reviewing a Christmas book in January? Perhaps. In my own defense, I put the book on hold months ago and I've been patiently waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting. I had every hope that it would be cataloged and shelved before Christmas. Alas. The good news? The book is delightful. I love the story, the characters, the illustrations. I enjoyed seeing the upstairs/downstairs stories. This one reminded me of Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree and The Tailor of Gloucester.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

9. Chooch Helped

 

 

9. Chooch Helped. Andrea L. Rogers. Illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz. 2024. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, siblings, family, picture book]

First sentence: This is the baby. We call him Chooch. The word for boy or son in Cherokee is atsutsa.  

Premise/plot: A sister is terribly, horribly annoyed with her younger brother--or bother as the case may be. The book is set within a Cherokee family/community; while the book is not wholly bilingual, the book certainly has an emphasis on introducing new words to readers. 

My thoughts: This one won/earned the Caldecott Medal in 2025. (The awards were announced earlier this morning). It is totally normal for me to be unimpressed with the winner. My artistic taste--or artistic eye--for better or worse never has aligned at all--not even a little bit--with the majority of winners. What I absolutely love, love, love and am drawn to is never what the judges are looking for--apparently. Which is fine. To each their own. Picture books have always had the most potential for being polarizing because you've got TEXT and ART. 

The story is simple, relatable, enjoyable enough. The art just wasn't for me--personally. You may love it. I think anyone with a sibling can appreciate this one.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

8. Silent Movie

  

 

8. Silent Movie. Avi. Illustrated by C.B. Mordan. 2003. 64 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, 4 stars, historical picture book, immigration]

First sentence: One hundred years ago people from all over the world are moving to the United States of America. Some want adventure. Some are fleeing hardship. Others come because they believe America is the "Promised Land." Among those who seek a better life is a family from Sweden. The first to go is Papa...

Premise/plot: Silent Movie is not a wordless picture book. However illustrations--told within black and white frames--do the heavy lifting in terms of story telling and characterization. The words assist the artwork.

The premise is relatively simple: A mother and son who have recently arrived in America--New York City, I believe--struggle to find the "Papa" who came before. Relatively alone and without resources, the pair struggles to find a way to make it. A chance--oh so fortunate--encounter with a movie maker (director?) leads to a happy ending! The boy is cast in a silent movie and the father recognizes his son on screen and the family is able to reunite!

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. The illustrations and text pair wonderfully together to convey the story of immigration experience at the turn of the twentieth century. (The story is set circa 1909.) 

This one might be appreciated more by readers who have seen at least one or two silent movies and understand the concept. However, there's no reason why this picture book couldn't come first and serve as an introduction to the early days of movies. 

Some/many silent movies are "shorts" and are about twenty minutes in length. There are silent movies for just about any genre. 

This one could be read by a wider range of ages.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

7. Lefty: A Story That Is Not All Right

Lefty: A Story That Is Not All Right. Mo Willems. Illustrated by Dan Santat. 2024. [December] 40 pages. [Source: Library] [2 stars, picture books, nonfiction]

First sentence: Hi, Righty! Did you know...there was a time when people could get into trouble...really, really BIG trouble--

Premise/plot: At its most literal (taken at face value) this is a pun-filled nonfiction picture book about perceptions through the centuries of being left handed (as opposed to right handed). 

My thoughts: I don't know if I'm disappointed because it is Mo Willems and I was expecting to absolutely love it above and beyond OR if it is just truly not my taste. Perhaps a bit of both.

While I almost-almost appreciated some of the illustrations, for the most part they just were not for me. I found them weird, odd, over-the-top. Of course, art is in the eyes of the beholder. Some readers may find the illustrations to be a great fit and wonderful.

The text was okay, fine, nice enough. Again, I am a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE, HUGE fan of Mo Willem--usually. Like his writing usually appeals to me above and beyond. These are books that I reach for again, again, again. The writing was just so so-so. There was one scene that made me smile--the one about cookies. But for the most part, I wasn't super impressed.

The subject is perhaps not the most thrilling, HOWEVER, I do think it's a fine subject. I don't know that left-handed prejudice is alive and well, a current, relevant "thing." I don't think it's been much of an issue for decades. That is, I think it's been steadily declining as an issue for decades. It just is--and no one really cares.

 I do think that this book is not to be taken at its most literal. There are a lot of elephants in the room (not literal, sadly, I wouldn't have minded a cameo from Elephant). I do think the book is a way to talk about other subjects. This tone is heavy-handed (pun-intended). In this sense I think it's a bit didactic. Here's the thing--and I've said this before--a conclusion can be one you agree with (or one you don't agree with, for that matter), and if it's written in a didactic way it can be a bit of a turn-off.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

6. What-a-baby

 

6. What-a-baby First Words Book. (Whataburger). Blue Star Press. 22 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, board book, novelty book]

First sentence:  Whataburger. Lettuce. Tomato. Onion. Pickles. Patty. Cheese. Bacon. 

Premise/plot: A board book of vocabulary words taken from the Whataburger menu. This novelty book for the youngest of fans may delight adults more than little ones, however, any time spent reading aloud to little ones is a bonus. 

What would make this one even better would be if there was an audio book read by Matthew McConaughey. 

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I thought it was fun in a novelty-silly way. The illustrations could be better, could be worse. They have a retro-dotted style about them. I liked the wide range of words included. 

 

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

5. Pizza and Taco: Coolest Club Ever

 

5. Pizza and Taco #9: Coolest Club Ever! Stephen Shaskan. 2025. 72 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, graphic novel, early chapter book, series book]

First sentence: Pizza! Pizza! Pizza! Hey! Whoa! Whoa! Ooh!

Premise/plot: Pizza and Taco have starred in nine books together. In this ninth book in the series, Pizza and Taco are excited about starting an after school club, however, they are not the only students starting a club. Can these two have the coolest club ever? And just what should their club be about?

My thoughts: I have read all nine books in the series. Some I have loved, loved, loved. Some I've barely liked. Still this series has more hits than misses as far as I'm concerned. I think the little things that might keep me from "loving" or "gushing" about an individual title in the series probably wouldn't be an issue for the target audience. Series for this age group thrive on having readers who LOVE comfort, familiarity, and predictability. Book characters are FRIENDS. And there's something awesome about coming back again and again to spend time with beloved friends. 

I do recommend the series. I am always happy to pick up the newest book in the series. 

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

4. Mustache Baby

 

4. Mustache Baby. Bridget Heos. 2016. HMH. 36 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: When Baby Billy was born, his family noticed something odd: He had a mustache.

Premise/plot: His parents anxiously wait to see if Baby Billy's mustache will turn out to be a "good-guy" mustache or a "bad guy" mustache. Readers see "Baby Billy" through his toddler years. And in fact, while most of the time his mustache is a good-guy mustache, there are SOME days when it is in fact, quite the opposite. "But a funny thing happened. As Billy got bigger...his mustache grew and curled up at the ends."

My favorite scene is probably when he robs a train: "A train robber so heartless that he even stole the tracks." The expression on his face is PRICELESS.

My thoughts: I loved this one. I wished I'd known about it when it first came out in 2013. I don't know how I missed such a great book. It is now available in board book format.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 10 out of 10

 

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

3. Sabrina Sue Loves the Mountain

 

3. Sabrina Sue Loves the Mountain. Priscilla Burris. 2024. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [early reader, animal fantasy, ready to read, chickens and farms, 3 stars]

First sentence: Sabrina Sue lived on a farm. She liked to walk through the fields. One morning in the distance she saw--a big, tall mountain.

Premise/plot: Sabrina Sue--a chicken with dreams--stars in her sixth ready to read early reader. This chicken is always dreaming big. In this one she dreams of mountain climbing.

My thoughts: I have enjoyed Sabrina Sue in the past. I do think she's an enjoyable--albeit silly--character. For better or worse if you've read one, you've essentially "read them all." I think that could be a good thing for young readers who find satisfaction in predictability and sameness, an assurance that things will stay just the way they like/love them. This one is not as absolutely silly as some of the previous books in the series. Recommended for fans of spunky chickens.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

2. Mr. Fox's Game of "No!"

 

2. Mr. Fox's Game of "No!" David LaRochelle. Illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka. 2024. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, 4 stars]

First sentence: Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Step right up for a battle of wits and test your brain with my nearly impossible Game of "No!" Here's how it works: Every time I ask a question, you have to say "NO!" If you accidentally say "YES," then you have to go all the way back to the beginning of this book and start over. Are you ready to play?

Premise/plot: Perhaps not necessary after that first paragraph, but I'll give it a go. Mr. Fox playfully teases young readers with a fun, silly game. [It has the same vibes of Simon Says.] Through a series of questions, readers may be tempted to say yes...

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I do think it would be a playful book to read aloud with little ones. It does invite audience participation, if you will, so a group setting might be a good fit. Definitely reads younger and not older.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

1. The Many Problems of Rochel-Leah

1. The Many Problems of Rochel-Leah. Jane Yolen. 2024. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, 3 stars]

First sentence: The first problem Rochel-Leah had was that she was a girl. 

Premise/plot: This picture book is set in a small Russian village--a shtetl--in the 1830s. Rochel-Leah, our heroine, wants more than anything to learn to read. But there are many, many, many obstacles standing in the way. She has spunk and determination, but will that be enough???

My thoughts: This picture book is based on a story passed down through many generations in Jane Yolen's family as happening to a cousin of a cousin of a cousin or some such like way back when. Regardless of its origin, the story celebrates gumption and a LOVE of words, of stories, of the power of such. 

 

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers