71. Pop Goes the Nursery Rhyme

 

71. Pop Goes the Nursery Rhyme. Betsy Bird. Illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, humor, fractured nursery tales, 5 stars]

First sentence: All around the mulberry bush, 
The donkey chased the weasel.
The donkey thought 'twas all in fun...
Pop! Goes the weasel.
Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was right as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went,
The lamb was sure to...
Pop! Goes the weasel.

Premise/plot: The weasel gets to go POP in nearly every nursery tale in Betsy Bird's silly and creative play on nursery tales. The 'Secretary Bird' is having a time trying to keep things all proper and sorted and REGULAR. But alas, the weasel is weaselly. 

My thoughts: I definitely enjoyed this one. It was SILLY and goofy and just fun. Though I will admit some bias. Betsy Bird was one of the first book bloggers I started following way, way, way back in the day. (I started blogging in 2006). This book is delightful.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

70. We Are Sneetches

70. We Are Sneetches. (Board book). 2025. 26 pages. [Source: Library] [board book, Dr. Seuss legacy]

First sentence: We are the Sneetches, 
and we'd like to say
it is good to meet you
on this very fine day.
There's only one place
where you will find Sneetches--
that's spending our days
on hot, sandy beaches!
That's where we swim
and that's where we play.
We have so much fun.
We stay out there all day!

Premise/plot: This is NOT a board book of Dr. Seuss' The Sneetches. It is not. It is a new story featuring The Sneetches. Is this new Sneetch book in line with the original? No. Not really. It is very much "We Are The Buddy Bears" (if you know, you know). This one comes with a not subtle, sweet, moralistic message and no humor.

My thoughts: I don't care for this one as much as I'd hoped. I hoped it was a board book adaptation of The Sneetches. That's a misunderstanding on my part. This book could have an audience, I suppose.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

69. This Is My World

 

69. Board book: This Is My World:  High Contrast Touch and Feel Book (Board Book). Hannah Eliot. Emily Spikings Illustrator. 2025. 14 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, board book]

First sentence: This is the sun that rises each day. These are the colors you'll see when you play. These are the sounds you may hear, inside and outside, far and near.

Premise/plot: What you see is what you get. A high contrast, touch and feel book. Each spread introduces the youngest of little ones to the world around them. 

My thoughts: The book is high contrast. Black, white. Primary colors. Everything is bold. The illustrations are simple. The touch and feel elements are perhaps not as many as I'd like. Shiny isn't something you can touch and feel, for example. There are really only two textures that offer enough of a sensory experience (crinkly and soft). The book ends with a mirror which I believe is always a hit with little ones.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

68. Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

68. Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons. Eric Litwin. Illustrated by James Dean. 2012. 40 pages. [Source: Online Audio and picture book]

 First sentence: Pete the Cat put on his favorite shirt with four big, colorful, round, groovy buttons. He loved his buttons so much, he sang this song: 

"My buttons, my buttons,
my four groovy buttons.
My buttons, my buttons,
my four groovy buttons."

Premise/plot: Pete the Cat LOVES, LOVES, LOVES his shirt with FOUR groovy buttons. But life happens....and, well, Pete learns that things--including buttons--come and go. Is this book primarily teaching young children subtraction skills OR is it teaching coping skills an invaluable life lesson perhaps even more important than subtraction?

My thoughts: This one was the first Pete the Cat book I read, and I must say it is probably my favorite. I love, love, love it so much!!! If I Love My White Shoes was "teaching" colors, then Four Groovy Buttons is "teaching" subtraction. For, Pete the Cat loses each of his four buttons one by one. But does Pete cry?! Goodness no! I absolutely love the end of this one!!! And the moral this time: "I guess it simply goes to show that stuff will come and stuff will go. But do we cry? Goodness, NO! We keep on singing."

I first met Pete the Cat circa 2013 when I checked out all the Pete the Cat books from the library. Each of the original books has an audio version online, and these audio versions have been uploaded to YouTube many times. Since I am not using the library these days, I revisited one of my favorite, favorite, favorite books by listening to it. 

Mom and I's favorite refrain--which we've used almost daily--certainly weekly--is DID PETE CRY? GOODNESS NO! This picture book is teaching a wonderfully important lesson in how to live life.

 

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

67. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes

 

67. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes. Eric Litwin. Illustrated by James Dean. 2010. 40 pages. [Source: Online Audio]

First sentence:  Pete the Cat was walking down the street in his brand-new white shoes. Pete loved his white shoes so much, he sang this song:

"I love my white shoes,
I love my white shoes,
I love my white shoes."

Premise/plot: Pete the Cat LOVES his white shoes, but will his shoes stay WHITE when he goes on his walk???? And how will he handle it if they're not perfectly-perfectly white? 

My thoughts:  I love, love, love, REALLY REALLY love Pete the Cat. He is my kind of cat. You should definitely download the free song(s) as well, so you can really sing right along with the book(s). True, you could make up your own tune, but, the song is so perfectly catchy.

So. Pete the Cat has white shoes which he loves. But, when he steps in some unpleasant things: strawberries, blueberries, a mud puddle, a bucket of water, does Pete cry?! Goodness no! He just keeps on walking and singing his song! Is this a concept book about colors (white, red, blue, brown)? Is this a book teaching necessary coping skills to preschoolers and kids? A bit of both. But. It is also just a really fun, very entertaining story about a groovy cat! I absolutely LOVE the repetition, and the fact that this is a book everyone can participate and join in on! Kids could even write their own stories.

Again this book has the refrain DID PETE CRY?!?! GOODNESS, NO! 

 

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

66. Pete the Cat: Rocking In My School Shoes

 

66. Pete the Cat: Rocking In My School Shoes. Eric Litwin. Illustrated by James Dean. 2011. 40 pages. [Source: Online Audio AND library] [4 stars]

First sentence: Here comes Pete strolling down the street, rocking red shoes on his four furry feet. Pete is going to school, and he sings this song: I'm rocking in my school shoes, I'm rocking in my school shoes, I'm rocking in my school shoes."

Premise/plot: Pete the Cat is going to school and having a great time!

My thoughts: I really liked this one. I loved seeing Pete go to school. I loved seeing him read in his school shoes (the library), eating in his school shoes (the cafeteria), playing in his school shoes (the playground), etc. (There is also singing, painting, adding, and writing). I loved the descriptions of the school environment, the participatory way in which it's written so it gets everyone involved, and most of all the repetition. DOES PETE WORRY? Goodness no!!!

I first met Pete the Cat circa 2013 when I checked out all the Pete the Cat books from the library. Each of the original books has an audio version online, and these audio versions have been uploaded to YouTube many times. Since I am not using the library these days, I revisited one of my favorite, favorite, favorite books by listening to it. 

You can search YouTube or check out the audio versions on the official page. 

 

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

65. The Man Who Didn't Like Animals

 

65. The Man Who Didn't Like Animals. Deborah Underwood. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. 2024. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars] [picture book]

First sentence: There once was a man who loved his tidy home and who didn't like animals. One day, a cat appeared. "I don't like cats," said the man. "Go away." But the cat didn't. The man liked sleeping in the sun. So did the cat. The man liked watching the rain. So did the cat. The man liked to eat dinner precisely at 6 P.M. So did the cat. "Hmph," said the man. "Maybe THIS cat isn't so bad."

My thoughts (preview): I have loved, loved, loved some of Deborah Underwood's previous books. I have LOVED, LOVED, LOVED some of LeUyen Pham's previous books. The fact that one of my favorite writers paired up with one of my all-time favorite illustrators meant only one thing: I MUST READ THE BOOK. I did request my library order a copy! (I am so happy now that others will enjoy it too!) I squealed a bit when I saw it had been ordered and put myself on the hold list....

SOMETIMES YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH YOU NEED A BOOK UNTIL IT IS IN YOUR HANDS. 

Premise/plot: How does a [somewhat cranky] man go from hating animals to loving animals????? One day at a time apparently. It starts with one cat....but of course, one cat never stays one cat. As his heart starts growing day by day, his life is transformed. He is no longer the same man by the end of the book! 

There *is* a twist. It does state this twist on the cover. It does. GoodReads likewise spoils it. However, I went into the book not reading the "fine print" if you will. I LOVED being surprised. I would recommend NOT telling little ones before reading it aloud.

My thoughts: I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS ONE. There are no words for how much this book stole my heart. 

I highly recommend this one as a read aloud. I could see it working in libraries, in classrooms, and, of course, in homes. I think it would be a great one to interject with questions like WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN NEXT?  etc.

 

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

64. His Fairytale Life

 

 

64. His Fairytale Life: A book About Hans Christian Andersen. Jane Yolen. Illustrated by Brooke Boynton-Hughes. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, picture book, picture book biography, j nonfiction]

First sentence: He was a boy
who lived with a mother
who could not read,
but remembered every fairy tale
she'd been told,
and a father who built things
out of wood, sturdy but graceless,
and a grandfather
who danced in the forests of Denmark
without clothes,
but with flowers in his hair;
a boy who wanted to be a poet,
but did not know his ABCs,
who longed to be a writer,
but had never been to school,
who finally, in his teens,
sat with the three-and-four-
and five-year-olds in class,
learning all he could;

Premise/plot: I give up on finishing the first sentence. His Fairytale Life is a picture book biography of Hans Christian Andersen written as a narrative poem....and also possibly the world's longest sentence. (Not really. I'm sure there are longer sentences about.)

My thoughts: I really enjoyed the illustrations for the most part. The narrative style was unique and unusual. I haven't decided if I liked it or not. I like the idea of liking it. And overall, I do think this is an accessible biography that one could read aloud to children. Particularly if you are a teacher studying a fairy tale unit. The sentence may be LONG but it is packed with information. I'm not quite sure I understand *why* his life was more like a fairy tale than a life. Even after reading it twice.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

63. How Elegant the Elephant

63. How Elegant the Elephant. Mary Ann Hoberman. Illustrated by Marla Frazee. 2025. 88 pages. [Source: Library] [poetry, children's poetry, poetry collection, j poetry, 3 stars]

First sentence: Abracadabra
The zebra is black
Abracadabra
The zebra is white
Abracadabra
The zebra is dark
Abracadabra
The zebra is light
Is it black striped with white?
Is it white striped with black?
Is it striped from the front?
Is it striped from the back?
Abracadabra
It's ink over snow
Abracadabra
It's snow over ink
Abracadabra
Does anyone know?
Abracadabra
What do you think?

Premise/plot: Mary Ann Hoberman has selected the poems for this poetry collection. The theme is animals and insects. She is sharing her favorites from her previous books of poetry...poetry books that have since gone out of print.

Quotes:

How Elegant the Elephant
How elegant the elephant
How mighty yet how mild
How elegant its mighty mate
How elegant it's child
How toothsome are its ivory tusks
How luminous its eyes
How supple are its floppy ears
How jumbo is its size
How flexible its pudgy knees
How delicate its tail
But best of all
How nice its nose
Which works just like
A garden hose

My thoughts: Poetry is typically hit or miss for me. I definitely enjoyed a handful of these poems. I liked the variety of the poems included. Any reader is likely to find at least a couple that delight. Reading is subjective by its very nature; a reader's taste in poetry is perhaps even more subjective.

Besides the elephant poem quoted above, I also enjoyed "Monkey Business" and "Sheep Counting."

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

62. Here Is a Book

62. Here is A Book. Elisha Cooper. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book, book about books]

First sentence: Here is an artist, looking.
And look, here is the artist's garden
made with sun, rain, dirt,
shovels, seeds,
and love.
And here is the artist's home built with wood, hammers,
paint, brushes, a shingled roof, and care,
and her kitchen filled with an oven, bread,
raspberry jam, family, a cat,
and warmth.

Premise/plot: This book celebrates the creation of books poetically--and somewhat abstractly--walking readers through the creative process of writing and publishing a book. The details are more towards an artist illustrating a book or perhaps writing and illustrating a book. 

My thoughts: I enjoy reading books about books. This narrative reads almost like a poem. It is an artistic-creative 'ode' to creating a book. Because of the narrative style I'm thinking elementary aged readers instead of preschoolers or pre-K. 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

61. Squid In Pants

 

61. Squid In Pants. Kaz Windness. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [early reader, ready to read, leveled reader, easy reader, 4 stars]

First sentence: Sad squid. No clothes. I would wear those. Fish friends spot kid. We found clothes, Squid! Four friends, one boat. Two socks, one coat. Two shoes. Flip-flop! One shirt. Tank top! Nice pants. Kid gone? Squid puts clothes on!

Premise/plot: Squid and friends enjoy trying on and wearing human clothes...but all does not go smoothly under the sea.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. What I enjoyed most was the rhythm and rhyme of the story. I liked the short, choppy sentences. I liked the rhyme. I liked the humor. I think it is incredibly silly. I think this one will probably have a good amount of kid appeal since UNDERWEAR.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

60. A Thousand Years

60. A Thousand Years. Christina Perri. Illustrated by Joy Hwang Ruiz. 2025. 32 pages. [Source: Library] [picture books, 3 stars]

First sentence: The day we met,
frozen, I held my breath,
Right from the start,
I knew that I'd found a home for my heart.
Time stands still.
How to be brave
when I'm so afraid that you might fall?
But watching you stand alone,
all of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow.

Premise/plot: Christina Perri's lyrics to A Thousand Years have been adapted--shifted--to fit a parent's love for a child. It isn't just the lyrics or modified lyrics. The narrative fits for a family situation. Throughout the picture book, a mother's love for her daughter is evident.

My thoughts: I like the idea of this one more than I actually like it. However, I do think it is lovely enough for what it is. There will always be publishing space for sentimental, sweet, precious books celebrating a parent's unconditional love for a child. Always and forever there will be books published about this special type of familial bond.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

59. Rosemary Long Ears

59. Rosemary Long Ears. Susie Ghahremani. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [picture book, dogs, 4 stars]

First sentence: "Let's go find some fun!" Rosemary springs past her best friend with long ears flapping up and down...up and down...like wings flying! Nose to the ground, she sniffs this way, she searches that way, her long ears following along.

Premise/plot: Rosemary the dog with LONG ears has a messy, messy day and needs a bath by the end of it.

My thoughts: Rosemary Long Ears is exactly what you'd expect it to be. A LOVELY picture book starring a long-eared dog that is super-adorable and delightful. Rosemary and her human are out for a walk, and on the walk she gets SUPER dirty. Many adventures are had. Some of the narrative style reminds me of the early Pete the Cat books. 

I enjoyed this one. I think it's a good fit for young readers that enjoy dog stories.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

58. The Monster at the End of the Book

 

58. The Monster At The End of This Book. Jon Stone. Illustrated by Michael J. Smollin. 1971. Golden Books. 32 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: What did that say? On the first page, what did that say? Did that say there will be a Monster at the end of this book? It did? Oh, I am so scared of Monsters!!!

Premise/plot: Grover does NOT, I repeat does NOT, want you to keep reading this book. Grover tries--but will he fail?!--to keep readers from turning pages. Is there really a monster at the end of the book?

My thoughts: This one is a classic for a reason. It is a FUN, DELIGHTFUL, SILLY read for parents to share with little ones. It is a great example of an again-again book--a book that almost begs you to read it again and again and again and again. Does one ever tire of Grover?

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

57. Piggle the Pig: The Perfect Pigsty

 

57. Piggle the Pig #1 The Perfect Pigsty. Dudolf. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [early reader, 5 stars]

First sentence: Piggle the Pig was quite busy with his usual morning routine when his phone rang. It was his parents, calling to tell Piggle that they were coming for a visit.

Premise/plot: Piggle the Pig is quite surprised that his parents are coming! He must clean immediately. It starts off well: one sock at a time. But soon Piggle is overwhelmed with the many, many, many things that remain to do. Surely a little nap after a planning session will help?! Will his parents be pleased with Piggle?

My thoughts: I definitely appreciated this one! It was fun and playful! Piggle was a delight! He might just have some attention issues....but he's always a delight all the same.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers