Picture Books January 2026
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| Whooo Is Still Awake? by Brigette BarragerAs dusk falls over the woods, two little owls wake up and take flight, greeting their nocturnal animal neighbors as they explore. Silhouetted shapes in the illustrations evoke the shadowy nighttime setting of this rhyming bedtime book. |
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The Secret Hiding Place
by Katherina E. Volk
A warm winter story about cooperation and coziness. For children ages 4 years and up.It's snowing, and Squirrel is hungry. He climbs out of his treehouse to get some nuts from his winter supply. But where did he hide them? Fortunately, the other animals are happy to help their friend, and Bear has a very good idea ... Pretty soon the worry turns into a cozy not so secret hiding place. Jump in, grab some hot cocoa and read along!
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| The Spectacular Space Loop by Javi de CastroBudding graphic novel fans will be fascinated by this tale of astronaut Cosmo, not only because of his zany adventures with robots, aliens, and magicians, but also because the book can be read right side up and upside down. Color-coded speech bubbles will keep readers flying through this perspective-shifting science fiction story. |
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Leonard Grows a Haunted Garden by Mike CiccotelloLeonard the cheerful, can-do ghost is growing his family a garden. The other ghosts want it to be the scariest garden EVER! But the more Leonard sows, the less creepy their new garden seems. He plants flowers that are pretty instead of putrid, and installs bird feeders instead of bat boxes. Has Leonard made a grave mistake? Or will this botanical surprise blossom into a spook-tacular delight? Perfect for fans of Gustavo the Shy Ghost.
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| Paper Chase by Julia Donaldson; illustrated by Victoria SandøyWhen Ginger's paper airplane collides with James' book under the tallest tree in the forest, it kicks off a friendship full of joyful, imaginative play. This endearing story in verse also depicts how trees become paper, and how natural resources should be used respectfully. |
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| The Language of Birds by Jon-Erik Lappano; illustrated by Zach ManbeckQuiet, attentive Mira finds it much easier to communicate with birds than with people. And that’s fine with her. But then she meets new classmate Jad, who has a special affinity for trees, and discovers that human connection might be possible after all. This gentle and lyrical friendship story will appeal to fans of Matthew Burgess' Bird Boy. |
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| A Knot Is Not a Tangle by Daniel Nayeri; illustrated by Vesper StamperPrecious time spent with his grandparents becomes even more special for one Iranian boy as his grandmother teaches him the ancient art of Persian rug-making. Intricately detailed watercolor art captures their step-by-step process, including the addition of a purposeful flaw as a defense against perfectionism. |
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