Wordplay propels Hall’s witty and compassionate story about kindness as one response to difficult behavior. When Badger, flushed with anger and “looking for trouble,” physically mistreats fellow forest-dwellers Frog, Moose, Elephant, and Bear, the four victims hatch a three-part revenge scheme—one whose tactics continually surprise. Bear sneaks up while Badger digs in the sun, and then “Punch!” Blocky painted paper collages against a white background show Badger cowering, until a page turn reveals the ursine character merely offering a glass of orange punch. Later actions humorously involve other fist-fight puns (“Belt! Sock!”), while visual storytelling provides a hint about the emotional origins of Badger’s foul mood. And a closing scene points to the takeaway that kindness begets kindness, making for an endearing end to a winsome book about one way of caring for loved ones in distress. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 05/02/2025 | Details & Permalink

In this standout social-emotional book, Vail’s assonant, songlike rhymes skillfully use a sea anemone to talk about personal space in a way that’s at once empowering and playful. First-person narration takes a kind but firm tone as a yellow-tentacled subject models a mellow assertiveness. Opening with a “humble plea” that others not “boop” it, the “lemony anemone” acknowledges that while many like to be close, “Not all of us find that/ a pleasure, however.” Luckily, the good-natured narrator—visually transformed from underwater creature to human child—supplies a simple, emulatable script for moments of space invasion: “NO BOOPING ME!/ I AM// AN ANEMONE!” Raschka’s multi- media fabric artwork creates largely underwater scenes for a tactile effect. The clever art is an ideal partner to highly readable, percussive text that emphasizes the harmony that can arise from respecting others’ spaces and needs. Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Back matter includes an author’s note. Ages 4–8. (May)

Reviewed on 05/02/2025 | Details & Permalink

The narrating protagonist of this energetic picture book is a generous young crocodile with prodigious talents in crafts, performance, and more. So why can’t this multi-hyphenate reptile make any friends? The croc is trying to befriend their natural prey. Toro makes the protag enormously sweet and sympathetic: “It can be very lonely when the world doesn’t see who you are deep down,” they sigh, a relatable emotional truth that hits especially hard when even their own family proves dismissive (“Who cares what those other animals think? They’re food,” the young croc’s mother replies). But when a fire drives all the animals to the water’s edge, the eager croc seizes the moment, building a bridge to an island refuge and throwing a joyous party where no one is on the menu. Authenticity and connection can often seem at odds even without food-chain dynamics at play, but these pages reconcile the concepts via an abundance of empathy and comedy, all portrayed in thick-lined cartooning that favors blues, greens, and purples. Ages 4–8. (May)

Reviewed on 05/02/2025 | Details & Permalink

The salamander sibs of this animated picture book’s title couldn’t be more different. Bright pink older sister Axolotl is a big personality who “lives life to the max-a-lotl.” Bespectacled and yellow-hued younger brother Axolittle is quieter by comparison—“he loves to just relax a little.” A series of snapshots depicting the duo’s activities highlights their deep mutual affection and complementary strengths—as Axolotl thrashes on the guitar, Axolittle avidly plays along on the triangle. But when Axolotl’s exuberance goes too far, and she inadvertently wrecks Axolittle’s in-progress painting, their relationship devolves into squabbles. It’s time for Axodadl to step in, take the pair on his lap, and forge a reconciliation (“They wipe their axolotl eyes/ and then they axo-pologize”). Clean-lined, limited-palette digital art by Rebar emphasizes the characters’ distinct personalities, while consistent rhyming lines by Hitchman provide amusing ear tickles alongside gentle lessons about connection and conflict resolution. Ages 4–8. (July)

Reviewed on 05/02/2025 | Details & Permalink

Kennedy—aka Dr. Becky—makes emotional regulation feel achievable in a picture book debut that exemplifies best practices for kids and caregivers. Ready for some fun after a series of “annoying” self-care tasks, light-brown-skinned Charlie explodes when he discovers his sister playing with his favorite truck. Evenhanded text describes his rapid emotional spiral (“The want got so big, so fast. The worries got so loud, so quickly”) and its outcome (“Before he even knew what he was doing, he hit his sister”). Pale-skinned Mom helps guide the conflict to resolution by setting boundaries and acknowledging Charlie’s frustration: “You’re a good kid having a hard time. And I’m here.” The narrative deploys its message lightly and clearly while demonstrating how Mom’s support—conveyed through words and expressions—helps Charlie regain his equilibrium. Stone’s unlined and unadorned artwork centers on the figures’ interactions and evolving emotions against a paper-white background. “A Good Inside Guide to Hitting” concludes. Ages 3–6. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 05/02/2025 | Details & Permalink

In the final images of this geological odyssey, a park ranger points out an unassuming gray rock that sits on the side of a hiking trail—a humble presence that, as Ho (A Taste of Home) and Williams (Look on the Bright Side) examine in the preceding pages, is actually a time-traveling witness to and participant in millennia of dramatic transformations. Minimalist, measured text and cartooned scenes that feature multiple cross sections walk readers through timescales beyond human experience, emphasizing how a rock goes through multiple iterations: “Heat melts it./ Pressure shapes it./ The rock reforms.../ ...into something new.” The work captures various forces that impact the rock as it moves, from its first appearance on the side of a smoking mountain 130 million years ago to sharing a landscape with dinosaurs 90 million years ago, tumbling into ocean depths 10 million years ago, and, coming full circle, blasting into the sky in a 1980 volcanic eruption. It’s a long-form reminder that even the most ordinary objects can contain extraordinary histories. Characters are portrayed with various abilities and skin tones. More about rocks concludes. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Emily Mitchell, Wernick & Pratt. Illustrator’s agent: Minju Chang, Bookstop Literary. (July)

Reviewed on 05/02/2025 | Details & Permalink

Octopus Inky, known IRL for his 2016 escape from a New Zealand aquarium, is shown here as an eight-armed marvel with undulating, mottled pink tentacles; a prodigiously playful intellect; and a restless heart. “Aquarium living was easy,” writes Hanson (Star and the Maestro) in crisply rhyming lines, “and Inky felt safe and well-fed./ But a tank can’t contain an octopus brain,/ and questions still swam in his head.” Inky contemplates his fellow aquarium inhabitants, and the faces that peer at him through glass each day, but most of all wonders, “Could an octopus live in a tank without walls?/ And where might he find such a place?” Digital images by Bernstein (Sinclair, the Velociraptor Who Thought He Was a Chicken), which incorporate hand-painted textures, have a wonderful sense of extravagance, portraying Inky with soulful, keenly observant eyes, and a personality and form so expansive that he barely fits within the page. The “adventure” that made the octopus into a real-life global sensation is depicted in a splendid sequence: as the other aquatic creatures look on in amazement, Inky climbs out of his tank, slides across the floor, and daintily lifts a drain lid, slipping through it to the sea and a life of freedom. This should be cephalopod catnip for readers who are just beginning to feel the stirrings of independence, ingenuity, and curiosity about worlds waiting outside their own walls. More about Inky concludes. Ages 4–8. (July)

Reviewed on 05/02/2025 | Details & Permalink

In the upbeat fantasy realm of Idlewood, nonbinary teen Hawthorne wants more out of life than to work as the potion barista manager of their family’s café, Yetta’s Cauldron. So Hawthorne attends tryouts for the infamous Brigade of Shade, a formerly destructive political organization. Despite Hawthorne’s fanatic knowledge of the group and its skeletal ruler Lady Wrath, however, the brigade rejects them, citing Hawthorne’s lack of magical talents and inexperience in evilness (prior killing ability is a must). With help from Yetta’s Cauldron regular Maple and her powerful plant magic, Hawthorne sneaks into the brigade’s lair—and accidentally murders Lady Wrath, which automatically situates them as the organization’s new leader. Like any manager worth their salt, Hawthorne begins a castle cleanup, instates a chore wheel, and initiates some mischief-making, like robbing a bank and levitating wares at the market. Then Maple, Hawthorne’s number two, raises the stakes of the brigade’s latest directive, forcing Hawthorne to consider where their allegiances lie. Stimulating color and lighting complement the story’s cinematic pace. Zippy and undemanding, Tarrell’s debut graphic novel alchemizes aimless teen energy from half-hearted, evil-ish deeds into purposeful community action. Ages 14–up. Agent: Moe Ferrara, Triada US. (July)

Reviewed on 05/02/2025 | Details & Permalink

Two tweens become embroiled in a silly, high-octane mystery that takes them across Karmopolis, a world in which everything—including houses and malls—is on wheels. Siblings Pooja and Om, portrayed with brown skin, are on an excursion at the multistory super-mall when they stumble upon an old-fashioned crane game. After Pooja liberates an egglike object from the machine, the brother-sister duo is targeted by a pair of mysterious, suit-wearing men on Segways. The men give chase, pursuing the siblings throughout the mall in a series of panels with Tom and Jerry energy—until Pooja and Om find themselves stranded on the highway meridian. Though they manage to evade their pursuers, the now motorless youths are forced to accept help from the enigmatic Walkers, people who gave up driving to build a walkable underground city. Bertozzi (Bomb) combines retro animation and comic-strip aesthetics with inventive, futuristic twists rendered in bold, saturated color palettes. Subtle yet thought-provoking messaging explores decisions about staying in one’s lane or veering off the beaten path in a relentlessly paced, dynamic jaunt depicting life in perpetual motion. Ages 9–12. (July)

Reviewed on 05/02/2025 | Details & Permalink

When 17-year-old Mia Hayes finds her parents in their living room with a bald man in a black suit, she doesn’t anticipate that the encounter will end with her mother dead and her father missing. Now on her own, the teen struggles to understand what happened and how her father is involved. Three weeks later, attending a protest in D.C., she meets cute, funny Logan, 18. The two plan a date for that night, but Mia is abducted shortly after Logan leaves the protest. Upon arriving at an undisclosed location, Mia is interrogated by a woman called Mary Surratt, who questions Mia about something her father is purported to have stolen. Though Mary releases her, Mia knows that the only way to uncover the truth about her father is to follow a series of clues he left behind. Clever codes, puzzles, and ciphers form the base of this intricately designed codebreaker mystery that’s enlivened by page-turning action and Mia and Logan’s sharp banter and magnetic chemistry. A beginning author’s note instructs readers on how to participate in the codebreaking and investigating alongside Mia, injecting a playful interactive element to Martel’s propulsive debut novel. Mia has olive skin. Ages 13–up. (July)

Reviewed on 05/02/2025 | Details & Permalink