Picture Books
July 2025

Recent Releases
George & Lenny Are Always Together
by Jon Agee

Anxious brown bear George and curious gray rabbit Lenny are BFFs who do everything together. So what will happen when Lenny wants to try a bit of solitude? This sweet and simple story offers expressive art to explore a timeless question about friendship. Read-alikes: I Am Going! by Mo Willems; Days with Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel.
My Friend May
by Julie Flett

Margaux, a young Cree girl, is upset that her nitôsis (auntie) is moving away. Then Margaux's beloved black cat May disappears, making the child even more distressed…until nitôsis comes through for her in an unexpected way. This gentle, thoughtful story is best shared one-on-one, and it includes a guide to the Plains Cree terms used.
Where the Deer Slip Through
by Katey Howes; illustrated by Beth Krommes

From sunrise to nightfall, various wild animals visit a woodland farmyard. Each creature is portrayed distinctly in rhyming words packed with alliteration and onomatopoeia, and kids can follow each delicious detail in the delicate, meticulous scratchboard-and-watercolor art by Caldecott Medalist Beth Krommes.
You and Me, Anemone
by Rachel Vail; illustrated by Chris Raschka

Charming wordplay and enticingly textured embroidery art combine in this read-aloud ready tale of a kid and an anemone with a shared aversion to being "booped." Whether you're looking to share a fun story about sea creatures or start a kid-friendly discussion of boundaries, you'll want to check out this affirming book. 
Retro Reads
Check out these awesome books from the not-so-distant past.
 
Do You Even Know Me?
by Reem Faruqi; illustrated by Ani Bushry

Adorable cartoon illustrations underscore the kid appeal of this story about Salma, a kindhearted Muslim American girl, and Luke, a bullying classmate who's heard misinformation on TV. Sensitively told, Do You Even Know Me? offers a message of peace, empathy, and living into your beliefs. Read-alike: The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad.
Simone
by Viet Thanh Nguyen; illustrated by Minnie Phan

When a wildfire threatens their California home, art-loving Simone and her Má evacuate to a shelter at a school gym. There, remembering Má's story about fleeing floods in Vietnam with nothing but her crayons, Simone leads the other kids in a hopeful drawing project. This moving story provides kids with a portrait of resilience during hard times.
My Daddy Is a Cowboy
by Stephanie Seales; illustrated by C.G. Esperanza

A pre-dawn trip to the ranch means precious one-on-one time for a Panamanian American girl and her father. The sensory details of their ride through the nearby streets are captured in eye-popping, hyper-realistic colors and compositions that pulse with energy, creating a distinctive and indelible celebration of family.
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