Weekend reads roundup: 10 May 2026, part three

I say ooh you say aah.

Written and illustrated by John Kane.

Templar Publishing, 2018.

Picture book.

Interactive.

It’s like those tests when you have to say the colour of the letters, rather than the content of the word…

Possible read-alikes:

• This is a ball by Beck and Matt Stanton.
• Pants by Giles Andreae and Nick Sharratt.
• This book is pants! by John Kane.
• The wrong book by Nick Bland.

 

Busy feet.

Written by Marcia Berneger.

Illustrated by Susanna Chapman.

Starry Forest, 2023.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

A great book to act out. Includes some opposites.

Possible read-alikes:

• All the wonderful ways to move by Laura Baker and Sandra de la Prada.
• 1, 2, 3, do the robot by Michelle Robinson and Rosalind Beardshaw.
• Elephants cannot dance! by Mo Willems.
• Jump! by Tatsuhide Matsuoka, translated by Cathy Hirano.

 

Give him my heart / Debi Gliori.

Bloomsbury Children's Books, 1998.

Picture book.

Christmas.

A very Christian Christmas, based on “In the BleakMidwinter” by Christina Rossetti. 

Possible read-alikes:

• The little drummer boy by Ezra Jack Keats; Katherine Davis, Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone.
• The Nativity illustrated by Julie Vivas.
• Room for a little one: a Christmas tale by Martin Waddell and Jason Cockroft.
• Silent night by Lara Hawthorne.
• Refuge by Anne Booth and Sam Usher.
• Hettie's Christmas gift by Bernice Screech and Rita Parkinson.
• Cowshed Christmas by Joy Cowley and Gavin Bishop.

 

A gallery of cats.

Written and illustrated by Ruth Brown.

Scallywag Press Ltd, 2019.

Picture book.

Match the cat with the art.

Possible read-alikes:

• Mildred the gallery cat by Jono Ganz.
• Meowsterpieces by Jenn Bailey and Nyangsongi.
• Cat nap by Brian Lies.

 

The bear out there.

Written and illustrated by Jess Hannigan.

Quill Tree Books, 2025.

Sophisticated picture book.

A take on Goldilocks.

Possible read-alikes:

• Goldilocks and the three crocodiles by Michael Rosen and David Melling.
• The three bears: sort of Yvonne Morrison and Donovan Bixley.
• The quacken by Justin Colón and Pablo Pino.  
• Horrible bear! by Ame Dyckman and Zachariah OHora.
• Goldilocks and the three dinosaurs as retold by Mo Willems.
• It's the bear! by Jez Alborough.
• Goldilocks and just one bear by Leigh Hodgkinson.
• Who's afraid of the big bad book? by Lauren Child 
• Stop! That's not my story! by Smriti Halls and Erika Meza. 

The big journey.

Written by Michael Rosen.

Illustrated by Daniel Egnéus.

Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2026.

Picture book.

A journey to a new home, which also involves a form of loss as they leave behind family and friends.

Possible read-alikes:

• The big dreaming by Michael Rosen and Daniel Egnéus.
• The space between by Clare Helen Welsh and Fiona Lumbers.
• Out of nowhere by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros.
• A song of the seasons by Yibing Deng.
• Someday by Stephanie Stansbie and Frances Ives.

 

Where's my teddy bear?

Written and illustrated by Rocio Bonilla.

Translated from the Catalan by Edicions Bromera.

Albatros, 2025.

Translation. Board book.

A hunt for a missing bear – where the reader can see, but the character just can’t.

Possible read-alikes:

• Tiny bear goes missing by Manka Kasha.
• Time for bed by Estrela Lourenço.
• The Very Noisy Baby by Alison Lester.
• We're going on a teddy hunt by Martha Mumford and Cherie Zamazing.
• Hello, sleep!: turn the wheel and become a bedtime superstar! by Ania Simeone and Happy Yak.
• You choose bedtime by Nick Sharratt and Pippa Goodhart.
• Good night belly button by Lucie Brunellière.
• Tickle my ears by Jörg Mühle. 

Bluey and Bingo's book of bugs: a push-and-pull book.

Ladybird Books, 2026.

Board book.

Tabs, wheels, and bars make this a fun play book.

Possible read-alikes:

• Backyard bugs by Helen Milroy.
• A good place by Lucy Cousins.
• The very hungry caterpillar's bug hunt: explore a world of minibeasts! by Eric Carle.
• Buzz like a bee! by Guilherme Karsten.
• Bug hotel: a lift-the-flap book of discovery by Libby Walden and Clover Robin. 
• Creepy crawlies: a colourful peek-through adventure by Laura Hambleton.
• Little snail's book of bugs by Yuval Zommer.
• Spot and say bugs: my first lift-the-flap by Moesha Kellaway, Alice, and Kirsty Tizzard.

 

The eyeball alphabet book.

Written by Jerry Pallotta.

Illustrated by Shennen Bersani.

Charlesbridge, 2021.

Illustrated nonfiction.

Animal eyes and eye idioms.

Possible read-alikes:

• Look book by Dan Marshall.
• Alphabot adventures by Lauren Briére.
• My amazing animal alphabet alliteration book by Rachael Robertson.
• The invisible alphabet by Joshua David Stein and Ron Barrett.
• Eye spy: wild ways animals see the world by Guillaume Duprat.
• Eye to eye: how animals see the world by Steve Jenkins. 
• Blink! by Doe Boyle and Adèle Leyris.

 

Tiny worlds.

Written and illustrated by Brittany Cicchese.

Candlewick Press, 2026.

Picture book.

The value of noticing the little things.

A story of different perspectives.

Possible read-alikes:

• Solo by Neil Clark.
• Our pebbles by Jarvis.
• Jayden noticed by Carolyn Crimi and Shamar Knight-Justice.
• Tiny by Laura Stitzel.
• The paper piano by Rachel Ip and Natelle Quek.
• Grandma's purse by Vanessa Brantley-Newton.
• Joy by Corrine Averiss and Isabelle Follath.

Weekend reads roundup: 10 May 2026, part two

Weekend reads roundup: 10 May 2026, part two

 

Torla & Smorla and the deeper than average hole.

Written by Kes Gray.

Illustrated by Chris Jevons.

Happy Yak, 2025.

Picture book.

The ‘sequel’ to Torla & Smorla and the lower than average cloud.

A fun exploration of averages and norms.

Possible read-alikes:

• Mouse & Giraffe by Kelly DiPucchio and Jen Corace.
• Giraffe is too tall for this book by DK Ryland.
• Sam and Dave dig a hole by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen.
• Hill & Hole by Kyle Mewburn and Vasanti Unka.
• What goes up by Paula Bowles. 

Luigi, the spider who wanted to be a kitten.

Written by Michelle Knudsen.

Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes.

Walker Books, 2024.

Picture book.

Mistaken identity and friendship. Just sweet and perfect.

And spider!

Possible read-alikes:

• Sylvie by Jean Reidy and Lucy Ruth Cummins.
• Spiro by Anna McGregor.
• Aaaarrgghh, spider! by Lydia Monks.
• The man who didn't like animals by Deborah Underwood and LeUyen Pham.
• Spider by Bang on the Door.
• Lulu is a rhinoceros by Jason Flom, Allison Flom, and Sophie Corrigan. 

Look baby look: outside: a lift-the-flap baby's catalogue.

Written and illustrated by Louise Lockhart.

Nosy Crow, 2026.

Board book.

Rhyming text.

Lift the flap.

Possible read-alikes:

• First 100 words by Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake.
• Titiro = Look by Gavin Bishop.
• At home by Matthew Oldham and Tony Neal.
• Baby's first words by Christiane Engel, Stella Blackstone, and Sunny Scribens.

Volcanoes.

Written by Nell Cross Beckerman.

Illustrated by Kalen Chock.

Orchard Books. 2024.

Picture book nonfiction.

Poetic language.

Possible read-alikes:

• Rangitoto: te toka tu moana = the rock standing in the ocean by Maria Gill and Heather Arnold.
• Volcano by Claire Saxby and Jess Racklyeft. 
• Home by Isabelle Simler, translated by Vineet Lal.
• Jumper: a day in the life of a backyard jumping spider by Jessica Lanan.
• The power of volcanoes by Tamsin Mather, David Pyle, and Daniel Long. 
• Stranded!: a mostly true story from Iceland by Ævar Þór Benediktsson and Anne Wilson. 

World kitchen: family recipes from around the world

Written by Abigail Wheatley.

Illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat.

Usborne, 2023.

Illustrated nonfiction.

Possible read-alikes:

• Chews your own tasty adventure: a cooking journey where YOU get to choose the ingredients!: vegetarian recipes from around the world by Dr Sai Pathmanathan and Lucia Vinti.
• Soup's on around the world by Denyse Waissbluth and Chelsea O'Byrne.
• Our favourite food: taste 20 delicious dishes from around the world by Valerie Wilding and Åsa Gilland.
• Lunch at 10 Pomegranate Street: a collection of recipes to share by Felicita Sala.
• A taste of the world: what people eat and how they celebrate around the globe by Beth Walrond, translated by Laure Afchain.

 

Marvellous maps: the world as you have never seen it before.

Written by Simon Kuestenmacher.

Illustrated by Margarida Esteves.

Welbeck Editions, 2022.

Illustrated nonfiction.

Not your standard collection of maps.

Possible read-alikes:

• What's where on Earth? history atlas: history as you've never seen it before by consultants: Reg Grant, Philip Parker; illustrators: Adam Benton, Stuart Jackson-Carter, Arran Lewis. 
• Maps of the world: an illustrated children's atlas of adventure, culture, and discovery by Enrico Lavagno and Sacco and Vallarino.
• Me on the map by Joan Sweeney and Qin Leng.
• The world is a cat playing with Australia: and 39 other amazing maps by Simon Kuestenmacher and Margarida Esteves.
• Maptastic!: reimagine the world, one map at a time by Rebecca Fry, Clive Gifford, Ben Morgan, Isabel Thomas, Justine Willis. 

This is our first Christmas.

Written by Francesco Sedita.

Illustrated by Magenta Fox.

Viking, 2025.

Picture book.

A gentle and sweet story.

Possible read-alikes:

• How many sleeps till Christmas? by Mark Sperring and Sebastian Braun.
• All the firsts by Toni D'alia and Sian Wheatcroft.
• Our gorgeous baby by Smriti Halls and Eve Coy.
• That Christmas by Richard Curtis and Rebecca Cobb. 

I did see a Yeti!

Written and illustrated by Alex Willmore.

Farshore, 2025.

Picture book.

Sequel to I did see a mammoth! Seeing something doesn’t mean everyone believes you.

Possible read-alikes:

• Dragons are real! by Holly Hatam.
• Buttercup the bigfoot by Douglas Rees and Isabel Muñoz.
• Yetis don't exist by Kate Thompson and Loretta Schauer.
• The grizzled grist does not exist! by Juliette MacIver and Sarah Davis.

 

Capybara disco dreams.

Written by Frances Stickley.

Illustrated by Nikki Dyson.

Simon & Schuster, 2026.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Dance like nobody is watching.

Possible read-alikes: 

• Craft Roach by Rachel Burke and Daniel Gray-Barnett.
• Bhangra boogie by Hena Khan and Sandhya Prabhat.
• Elephants cannot dance! by Mo Willems.
• How do you dance? by Thyra Heder.
• Luna loves dance by Joseph Coelho and Fiona Lumbers.
• Giraffes can't dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees.
• Free to be fabulous! by David McMullin and Robbie Cathro.
• We will rock our classmates by Ryan T. Higgins.
• You can do it, Bert! by Ole Könnecke, translated by Catherine Chidgey. 

The only astronaut.

Written by Mahak Jain.

Illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier.

Kids Can Press, 2023.

Picture book.

Imaginative play. Learning to play with someone else, who has their own imagination.

Possible read-alikes:

• There's a beach in my bedroom by Kevin Jonas, Danielle Jonas, and Courtney Dawson.
• Fiona builds a fairy house by Kristen Dickson and Celia Krampien.
• Agatha May and the anglerfish by Nora Morrison, Jessie Ann Foley, and Mika Song.
• Silver linings by Fiona Woodcock.
• I’m a frog by Mo Willems. 

Weekend reads roundup: 10 May 2026, part one

 

I'm a cloud.

Written and illustrated by Tjitske Kamphuis.

Godwin Books/Henry Holt and Company, 2025.

Picture book nonfiction.

Science.

Wonderful introduction to clouds.

Possible read-alikes:

• The cloud book  by Tomie de Paola.
• Partly cloudy by Deborah Freedman.
• When Cloud became a cloud by Rob Hodgson.
• Yucky weather by B G Barnstormer,  Heather LeMay, and Charlotte L. Taylor.
• What are clouds? by Katie Daynes and Marta Álvarez Miguéns.

 

 

 

This is happy!

Written by Anna Ross.

Illustrated by Debi Gliori.

Otter-Barry Books, 2024.

Picture book.

Finding happiness and joy – and centring yourself.

Possible read-alikes:

• Augustus and his smile by Catherine Rayner.
• The little book of joy by His Holiness the Dalai Lama & Archbishop Desmond Tutu, with Douglas Abrams and Rachel Neumann, illustrated by Raphael López.
• Happy all over by Emma Quay.
• A good day by Kevin Henkes.
• I am happy by Michael Rosen and Robert Starling.
• Tiny good things by Gabrielle Tozer and Sophie Beer.
• The little things by Penny Harrison and Hannah Sommerville.

 

The good little mermaid's guide to bedtime.

Written by Eija Sumner.

Illustrated by Nici Gregory.

Tundra, 2024.

Picture book.

Doesn’t every well-behaved person (or mermaid) wish they weren’t? At least sometimes.

Possible read-alikes:

• Mermaids are the worst! by Alex Willan.
• Big bad dragon club by Beach.
• I am a wolf by Kelly Leigh Miller.

 

 

The best kind of mooncake.

Written and illustrated by Pearl AuYeung.

Page Street Kids, 2022.

Picture book.

Kindness and community.

Possible read-alikes:

• Lily's Hong Kong honey cake by Erica Lyons and Bonnie Pang.
• Mooncakes mean family by Benson Shum.
• Thanking the moon: celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival by Grace Lin.
• Zahra's blessing: a Ramadan story by Shirin Shamsi and Manal Mirza.

Big Bear is coming!: hear, smell, see, run!

Written and illustrated by Anuska Allepuz.

Walker Books, 2026.

Picture book.

Who can that be? Big bear!?!!

A cute story that uses all the little bears’ senses.

Possible read-alikes:

• I hear the snow, I smell the sea by Janice Milusich and Christopher Raschka.
• Mama in the moon by Doreen Cronin and Brian Cronin.
• We're going to find the monster! by Malorie Blackman and Dapo Adeola.
• Where's my teddy? by Jez Alborough.
• The Dudgeon is coming by Lynley Dodd.
• Watch out! Big Bro’s coming! by Jez Alborough.
• I’m coming to get you by Tony Ross. 

Downpour: splish! splash! ker-splash!

Written by Yūko Ōhnari.

Illustrated by Kōshirō Hata.

Translated from Japanese by Emily Balistrieri.

Red Comet Press, 2025. Picture book.

Brilliant onomatopoeic story of rain and play.

Possible read-alikes:

• Rain by Cynthia Rylant and Lisa Congdon.   
• Pitter pattern by Joyce Hesselberth.
• The wetter the better by Emma Vere-Jones and Lisa Allen.
• When Isaac hears the rain by Julie Thompson and Leah Giles.
• Puddling! by Emma Perry and Claire Alexander.   
• Rain! by Linda Ashman and Christian Robinson.
• The rain train by Elena de Roo and Brian Lovelock.
• Red rubber boot day by Mary Lyn Ray and Lauren Stringer.
• Goodnight sounds by Debbie S. Miller and Michelle Jing Chan.
• In the meadow by Yukiko Katō and Komako Sakai. 

How to be a cat.

Written and illustrated by Nikki McClure.

Abrams Appleseed, 2013.

Picture book.

Simple words and pared down colour palette (black, white, blue).

Possible read-alikes:

• How to be a cat by Juliette MacIver and Carla Martell.
• Cat's seasons by Airlie Anderson.
• Joy by Yasmeen Ismail and Jenni Desmond.
• Kitten's first full moon by Kevin Henkes.
• Hello little ones by Amandine Piu.
• A book of loves by Cynthia Rylant.
• What a small cat needs by Natalia Shaloshvili and Lena Traer.

 

Where are you, Eddie?

Written by Michael Rosen.

Illustrated by Gill Smith.

Walker Books, 2026.

Sophisticated picture book.

Michael Rosen’s son, Eddie, died a few years ago – and this is a quiet meditation of life without Eddie, and how he is still present in the world.

Possible read-alikes:

• Michael Rosen's sad book by Michael Rosen and Quentin Blake.
• Where are you, Brontë? by Tomie DePaola and Barbara McClintock.
• The hug blanket by Chris Gurney and Lael Chisholm. 

Sugar in milk.

Written by Thrity Umrigar.

Illustrated by Khoa Le.

RP Kids, 2020.

Picture book.

Immigration. Acceptance. Folktale retelling. Refugees.

Possible read-alikes:

• Saving the butterfly: a story about refugees by Helen Cooper and Gill Smith.
• The carpet: an Afghan family story by Dezh Azaad and Nan Cao.
• A different pond by Bao Phi and Thi Bui.
• Wishes by Mu̕ọ̕n Thị Văn and Victo Ngai.
• What will my story be? by Nidhi Chanani.
• Watercress by Andrea Wang and Jason Chin. 

Mr. Fox's game of "No!"

Written by David LaRochelle.

Illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka.

Candlewick Press, 2024.

Picture book.

An interactive story.

Possible read-alikes:

• The book with no pictures by B.J. Novak.
• Donut touch! by Seb Davey and Alex Willmore.
• Boop! by Bea Birdsong and Linzie Hunter.
• Come on out! by Alberto Lot.
• A delicious story by Barney Saltzberg.
• I say OH, you say NO by John Kane.
• Rupert the Mouse presents Be quiet! by Ryan T. Higgins. 

Weekend reads roundup: 3 May 2026, part three

 

The bookshop dog.

Written by Harriet Evans.

Illustrated by Claire Shorrock.

Little Tiger Press, 2025.

Picture book.

A story of community and its importance. Also, the skill in readers advisory – finding the right book at the right time.

Possible read-alikes:  

• Dear bookstore by Emily Arrow and Geneviève Godbout.
• Good night little bookstore by Amy Cherrix and E. B. Goodale.
• The bookshop on Lemon Tree Lane by Mike Lucas and Sofya Karmazina.
• The Winter wish by Helen Mortimer and Rachael Dean.
• Books on bikes by F. Isabel Campoy, Theresa Howell, and Brizida Magro.
• Books are not just for Bedtime by Eleanor Pearson and Angela Perrini.
• Everywhere with you by Carlie Sorosiak and Devon Holzwarth. 
• The great rabbit chase by Freya Blackwood. 
• A sprinkle of happiness by Lucy Rowland and David Litchfield. 

The monster mac and cheese party.

Written and illustrated by Todd Parr.

Little, Brown and Company, 2023.

Picture book.

How do you like your food?

Possible read-alikes:

• You've got yoghurt in your nostrils by Bethany Clark and Sara Acton.
• Are you a hungry monster? by Guilherme Karsten.
• Banana bop!: a monster show by Sandra Boynton.
• I really like slop! by Mo Willems.
• Monster food by Daisy Hirst.

 

Come on out!

Written and illustrated by Alberto Lot.

Henry Holt and Company, 2025.

Picture book.

Interactive.

Read portrait, vertically – rather than traditional horizontally.

Possible read-alikes:

• Are you there little bat? by Sam Taplin, Nicola Butler, and Essi Kimpimäki.
• Where are you, Magoo? by Briony Stewart.
• Dot spots lots of spots by Camilla Reid and Carly Gledhill.
• Mel fell and Ursula upside down by Corey R. Tabor.
• Go away, big green monster! by Ed Emberley.

 

Leo's Lobo.

Written by Melissa Cristina Márquez.

Illustrated by Maria Gabriela Gama.

Penguin Workshop, 2026.

Picture book.

A story of pet adoption, magic, and responsibility.

Possible read-alikes:

• Get real, Mallory! by Daisy Hirst.
• Forever home: a dog and boy love story by Henry Cole.
• I want a dog by Jon Agee.
• The Fairy Dogmother by Caroline Crowe and Richard Merritt.
• "Let's get a pup!" by Bob Graham.
• Negative cat by Sophie Blackall.
• This story is not about a kitten by Randall de Sève and Carson Ellis.

  

Can bears ski?

Written by Raymond Antrobus.

Illustrated by Polly Dunbar.

Walker, 2021.

Picture book.

Hearing impairment – and how the young bear navigates the world, before it is picked up.

Possible read-alikes:

• I hear the snow, I smell the sea by Janice Milusich and Christopher Raschka.
• Come over to my house by Eliza Hull, Sally Rippin, and Daniel Gray-Barnett.
• Mighty Mila by Katie Petruzziello and Nadja Sarell.
• Private and confidential by Marion Ripley and Colin Backhouse.

 

Charlie, chill out!

Written by Beccy Beavis.

Illustrated by Rachel McGregor & Charlie Beavis.

Beccy Beavis Books, 2025.

Picture book.

Aotearoa.

Neurodiversity. 

Possible read-alikes:

• Too much!: an overwhelming day by Jolene Gutiérrez and Angel Chang.
• Remarkable Remy by Melanie Heyworth and Nathaniel Eckstrom.
• Wild for Winnie by Laura Marx Fitzgerald and Jenny Løvlie.
• Oona and the shark by Kelly DiPucchio and Raissa Figueroa.

 

Ghost orchid.

Written and illustrated by Fiona Lumbers.

Andersen Press, 2022.

Picture book.

I’m undecided about this one – it’s lovely and all that. But, the parents are not great.

Possible read-alikes:

• Muttonfish magic by Aunty Ruth Simms, Lucy Robertson, and Jasmine Seymour.
• The Tiny Explorers by Kat Macleod.
• Tiny hiker by Natasha Zimmers.
• Over and under the rainforest by Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal
• The big journey by Michael Rosen and Daniel Egnéus.

 

You are not alone.

Written by Ingrid Law.

Illustrated by Xin Li.

Rocky Pond Books, 2025.

Picture book.

The peaceful sleep that comes with knowing you are supported and loved.

A dream for some.

Possible read-alikes:

• A monstrous bedtime by Kerilynn Wilson.
• Tuck me in by Nathan W. Pyle.
• Home is where the heart is by Jonny Lambert.

 

Pugtato finds a thing and Pugtato babysits the snouts.

Written and illustrated by Sophie Corrigan.

Zonderkidz, 2020 and 2021.

Picture books.

The world needs more Pugtatoes! And Collieflowers, and Purrsnips!

Possible read-alikes:

• Don't feed the coos! by Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox.
• Snail crossing by Corey R. Tabor.
• I'm bored by Michael Ian Black and Debbie Ohi.
• Supertato by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet.
• Tulip and Doug: friends for (almost) ever by Emma Wood and Carla Martell.
• Food fight by Alex Latimer.
• Dog food by Joost Eiffers and Saxton Freymann.

 

One cool friend.

Written by Toni Buzzeo.

Illustrated by David Small.

Dial Books for Young Readers, 2012.

Picture book.

I don’t recommend stealing a penguin from an exhibition – however…

Possible read-alikes:

• Where the heart is by Irma Gold and Susannah Crispe.
• Lost and found by Oliver Jeffers.
• Penguin parcel by Victoria Cassanell.
• Wanna see a penguin? by Simon Philip and Ian Smith.
• Sylvie by Jean Reidy and Lucy Ruth Cummins. 

A lemon for Safiya.

Written by Jemima Shafei-Ongu.

Illustrated by Nisaluk Chantanakom.

Hachette Australia, 2025.

Australian.

Sophisticated picture book.

Dementia. Immigrant.

⭐What an absolute jewel.

So many books written by people with backgrounds in psychology / teaching, end up shouting “message” and “worthy”, and just aren’t great to read.

This is not one of them. This is a book deeply empathetic, which wears its lessons lightly.

Possible read-alikes:

• Coffee, rabbit, snowdrop, lost by Betina Birkjær and Anna Margrethe Kjærgaard, translated from Danish by Sinéad Quirke Køngerskov. 
• Night walk by Jason Cockcroft.    
• Once upon a time in the woods by Anthony Browne. 
• 11 words for love by Randa Abdel-Fattah and Maxine Beneba Clarke. 

What is a dot?

Written by Johanna Bell.

Illustrated by Amelia Luscombe.

Thames & Hudson Australia, 2025.

Australian.

Picture book.

Interactive.

A good way to look at things differently. Inspiration for art / creativity.

Possible read-alikes:

• Dot! scribble! go! and Mix it up! and Press here by Hervé Tullet.
• Beautiful oops! by Barney Saltzberg.
• The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds.
• Arlo draws an octopus by Lori Mortensen and Rob Sayegh Jr.  
• Squiggles on the loose by Lily Murray and Bia Melo.

  

Grumpy pants.

Written and illustrated by Claire Messer.

Albert Whitman & Company, 2016.

Picture book.

I love this book so much – and so many of the preschoolers I read it with, understand.

Possible read-alikes:

• Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard.
• Punch!: a story about kindness by Michael Hall.
• Storm-cat by Magenta Fox.
• I am a tornado by Drew Beckmeyer.

 

Glasses.

Illustrated by Fernando Martin.

Oxford University Press, 2025.

Picture book.

They say you should dress for the job you want – so, why not start them early.

Possible read-alikes:

• Bags by Fernando Martin (same series).
• All dressed up by Andrew Zimmerman and Davis Clemesha.
• Cheer: a book to celebrate community by Uncle Ian Aurora and Natalia Moore.
• When I grow up I'd like to be... by Rob Biddulph.
• I can be anything! by Susann Hoffmann.
• Maisy at work: a first words book by Lucy Cousins.
• Guess who's getting dressed by Smriti Halls and Marta Altés.

 

Can I keep it, please?

Written by John Sullivan.

Illustrated by Jessica Gibson.

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025.

Picture book.

When you don’t want what you already have – then find out it’s perfect.

Possible read-alikes:

• You can't pat a fish by Ruth Paul.
• The perfect pet by Hazel Gardner and Nikki Dyson.
• The man who didn't like animals by Deborah Underwood and LeUyen Pham.
• Not that pet! by Smriti Halls and Rosalind Beardshaw.
• Rita's rabbit by Laura Mucha and Hannah Peck.

 

Sticky Mildred.

Written by Alastair Chisholm.  

Illustrated by Rikin Parekh.  

Walker Books Ltd, 2026.  

Picture book.

As someone with touch sensory issues – this book icked me out. It doesn’t mean it isn’t fun.

Possible read-alikes: 

• Kittens do not care for baths by Ali Rutstein and Nina Nill.
• The pigeon needs a bath! by Mo Willems.
• The girl who wouldn't brush her hair by Kate Bernheimer and Jake Parker.
• Molly’s hair by Emma Damon.

 

Bear and Bird: The cloud.

By Jarvis.

Walker Books, 2026.

Picture book.

Hunting for a special thing can result in finding what you really need.

Possible read-alikes:

• Little cloud by Anne Booth and Sarah Massini.
• The Cloudspotter by Tom McLaughlin.
• Annabelle and Flower by Em Lynas and Anuska Allepuz.
• The witchling's wish by Lu Fraser and Sarah Massini.

 

 

Neverwoof: the dog that never barked.

Written and illustrated by Gabe Jensen.

Familius, 2021.

Picture book.

Rhyming text.

Limited colour palette with retro-style illustrations.  

A story with a twist.

Possible read-alikes:

• Dudley's day at home by Karen Kaufman Orloff and Reneé Andriani.
• Such a good boy by Marianna Coppo.
• Crictor by Tomi Ungerer.

 

Shoes!: a footwear fashion frolic.

Written by Anna Davies.

Illustrated by Daisy Wynter.

Cicada Books, 2025.

Illustrated nonfiction.

The blurb says throughout history – but it is the 20^th and 21^st centuries.

Possible read-alikes:

• Encyclopedia of ordinary things by Štěpánka Sekaninová and Eva Chupíková.
• Where will this shoe take you?: a walk through the history of footwear by Laurie Lawlor.
• Fashion: the history of clothes by Jacqueline Morley.
• Get dressed!: a historical guessing game for fashion lovers by Katy Canales and Erin Vanessa.
• A history of fashion by Emily Bone and Laura Cowan; illustrated by Simona Bursi, Ingrid Liman Elena Selivanova and Yoko Sugiyama; designed by Caroline Day, Nelupa Hussain, Hope Reynolds ad Lucy Wain.