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.
Downpour : Splish! Splash! Ker-splash!
by Yåuko åOnari

As the rain pours down, making all kinds of sounds, a little boy encourages the droplets to play with him
If you find a fawn : a what-to-do for wild wanderers
by Kellie DuBay Gillis

A latest addition to the Disney Planet Possible series, which aims to inspire and empower young readers to take care of planet Earth through amazing stories that celebrate advocacy, conservation and stewardship, this picture book pairs instructive text with lush illustrations to offer a lyrical journey for nature lovers and curious kids alike. Includes kid-friendly environmental activities.
Elena camps
by Juana Medina

"Elena is eager to put up her tent--but is there something she's missing in her hurry?"
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.
 
Hello Lighthouse
by Sophie Blackall

Explores the life of one lighthouse as it beams its message out to sea through shifting seasons, changeable weather, and the tenure of its final keeper
Pete the cat screams for ice cream!
by Kim Dean

Pete the Cat can't wait for the grand opening of the Just Chillin' Ice Cream shop, but when his friends need his help, he learns that kindness is just as cool as a tasty frozen treat! Simultaneous eBook. Illustrations.
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.
My papi has a motorcycle
by Isabel Quintero

A young child lists the ways that his dad is not a superhero before revealing how he still does cool things, from playing checkers to knowing when someone is jumping on the bed. By the author of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award-winning Up, Tall and High!
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.
Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 0-8!
Joliet Public Library
150 N Ottawa St, Joliet, Illinois 60432
(815) 740-2660

https://www.jolietlibrary.org/en/