103. Tuck Me In

103. Tuck Me In. Nathan W. Pyle. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, picture books, science, bedtime stories]

First sentence: One night a beach said, "I'm a bit chilly!" The moon smiled and said, "I'll tuck you in!" So the moon pushed the water up onto the sand. But off in the distance, another beach cried, "Heyyy! Where did my blanket go?" And the moon realized she might have just made a mistake.

Premise/plot: Tuck Me In! is a story written for young children to explain the tide. OR T.I.D.E. Tucking In Divided Evenly. It is a FUN, silly, creative way to explain how high tides and low tides work.

My thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one! It was such a fun read. Highly recommended.

 

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

102. Detective Beans: Adventures in Cat Town

102. Detective Beans: Adventures in Cat Town. Li Chen. 2025. 208 pages. [Source: Library] [j graphic novel, animal fantasy, 5 stars]

First sentence: Okay. We're rolling. Beans! Stop picking your nose. We're starting.

Premise/plot: Detective Beans is an ambitious kitten prone to adorable mischief. Not all the 'adventures' or 'misadventures' are detective related. But all of them star a creative, imaginative, playful, exuberant, slightly hyper kitten. Beans is great fun. He's joined by his friends and neighbors. Some stories are short. Some are longer.

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved some of the stories in this graphic novel. A few of the stories were more meh. But overall, I highly loved, love, loved this one. BEANS IS SO ADORABLE. If you enjoy animal fantasy, light mystery for young readers, or graphic novels, this one is easy to recommend.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

101. Elvis & Romeo

101. Elvis & Romeo. David Soman and Jacky Davis. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, picture book, dogs, friendship]

First sentence: Elvis was on his way to the dog park for the first time. So was Romeo. Romeo couldn't wait to make a new friend.

Premise/plot: Elvis & Romeo are not friends yet....but they soon will be after meeting at the dog park.

My thoughts: I read two Elvis & Romeo early readers earlier this month. This picture book is their origin story--or the origin story of their friendship. All three books appear to be published in 2025. If you are a dog lover, this picture book is super cute and adorable. Elvis and Romeo each have personality. It's an enjoyable introduction to this duo.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

100. The Crayon Stub

100. The Crayon Stub. Marcus Cutler. 2025. 40 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, cats, art, creativity, picture book]

First sentence: Alright, I have my fresh new piece of paper and my box of big, beautiful crayons. Time to draw something TOTALLY SPECTACULAR and become WORLD FAMOUS! No big deal.

Premise/plot: Big Cat's big plans don't go as planned--not at all. It starts with Big Cat discovering that he only has one crayon in his crayon box, and that one crayon is a stub--a red stub. Can Big Cat draw a spectacular picture with just a tiny stub of a crayon?! Can Big Cat draw ANY picture with just a stub? Will he get the opportunity? Or will his sibling interfere?!

My thoughts: I liked this one. I did. It was cute enough, silly enough. I didn't love it as much as I'd hoped all things considered. Probably because I'm an overthinker. I didn't really like the humorous direction this one took of the sibling EATING both the paper and the crayon and magically--literally--spitting out a drawing. I thought that was a little too over the top for me. But I think others may enjoy this one.

 

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers

98-99. Two Magical Map Early Chapter Books

98. Magical Map #1: Pirates of the Caribbean. Ridley Pearson. 2025. 128 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, children's fantasy, j fantasy]

First sentence: Down an alley that was easily missed, there hung a wooden sign.

Premise/plot: Ridley Pearson's newest series is for young readers; it's an early chapter book. Gemma and Torin are brother and sister. Gemma discovers a mysterious, supernatural journal that is tied to...the Magic Kingdom. It has notes, drawings, maps, etc., for many of the rides and attractions. She doesn't know it when she starts reading it and making her own notes, however, so she is unaware of how her notes are effecting the attractions. In this first one, Gemma and Torin must 'save' their mom's job by fixing the Pirates of the Caribbean. The story has been changed!

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. Could a different story had been told if it was for older readers? Yes. Is this story good for younger readers? Yes. Gemma and Torin work together to brainstorm solutions for fixing the magic that has gone wrong. I liked this one well enough. I did.

99. Magical Map #2: Jungle Cruise. Ridley Pearson. 2025. 128 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, children's fantasy, j fantasy]

First sentence: Uh-oh, trouble was brewing! Friday afternoon, the week follwoing spring break, kids at school were buzzing about the Jungle Cruise attraction at Disney's Magic Kingdom park having suddenly been close.

Premise/plot: Ridley Pearson's newest series is for young readers; it's an early chapter book. Gemma and Torin are brother and sister. Gemma discovers a mysterious, supernatural journal that is tied to...the Magic Kingdom. It has notes, drawings, maps, etc., for many of the rides and attractions. She doesn't know it when she starts reading it and making her own notes, however, so she is unaware of how her notes are effecting the attractions. In this second one, Gemma and Torin try to puzzle out WHY there are real animals--monkeys--causing a great deal of trouble on the Jungle Cruise attraction. Can they fix Jungle Cruise?

My thoughts: I liked this one less than the Pirates of the Caribbean. Though if you like mischievous monkeys this one might still be appealing. I like the idea of liking this series. But there's just not much substance. 



© 2025 Becky Laney of Young Readers