Weekend reads round-up: 5 April 2026

 

Your truck.

Written and illustrated by Jon Klassen

Walker Books, 2026.

Board book.

Part of a board book series Your Things. These are simple, yet there’s so much to look at and enjoy.

I can see these working as felt boards – except you’d miss the wonderful illustrations.

There is so much skill in making something so pared back.

Series:

• Your farm.
• Your island.
• Your forest.
• Your truck.
• Your horse.

Possible read-alikes:

• The world and everything in it by Kevin Henkes.
• Dinosaur vs library by Bob Shea.
• I’d rather be a cat by Laura and Philip Bunting. 

Banana bop!: a monster show.

Written and illustrated by Sandra Boynton.

Boynton Bookworks, 2025.

Board book.

Rhyming text.

What is it about bananas that is so funny?

Another Boynton banger of a book.

Possible read-alikes:

• Banana by Ed Vere. 
• Banana, banana, banana! by Sarah Finan.
• Are you a banana? by Robert Starling.
• 1, 2, 3, Do the Unicorn by Michelle Robinson and Rosalind Beardshaw.
• Skip to my moo: a rollicking barnyard story by Iza Trapani and Maddie Frost. 

Super Magic Boy. 3, I am a slime monster.

Written and illustrated by Jarod Roselló.

RH Graphic, 2025.

Graphic novel.

Hugo and Dino must stop a slime monster from destroying the library!

A fun early graphic novel.

Possible read-alikes:

• Sir Ladybug. 3, Sir Ladybug and the bookworms by Corey R. Tabor.
• Gabby & Gator by James Burks.
• Banana Fox and the book-eating robot by James Kochalka.
• Fox & Rabbit. 1 by Beth Ferry and Gergely Dudás.
• Alan, king of the universe by Tom McLaughlin.
• The adventures of Anders by Gregory Mackay.
• Cat & cat adventures by Susie Yi.
• Teen Titans go! To the library by Franco and Art Baltazar.
• Box tales. Grow, strawberries, grow! by James Burks. 

If it's Lunar New Year and you know it ...

Written and illustrated by Belinda Chen.

Nosy Crow Ltd, 2026.

Board book. With sliding pages.

I asked a staff member about this one, and they were as indecisive and uncertain as am about it. I don’t think it is one they’d be sharing at Lunar New Year storytimes in the future.

Possible read-alikes / instead-ofs:

• Chinese New Year colors = 春节的颜色 by Rich Lo.
• Welcoming the Lunar New Year by Lara Lee and Natelle Quek.
• Bringing in the New Year by Grace Lin.
• Happy all-idays! by Cindy Jin and Rob Sayegh Jr.  
• What do you do to celebrate? by Ashleigh Barton and Martina Heiduczek.
• Chinese New Year by Ilaria Falorsi.
• Maisy's Chinese New Year by Lucy Cousins.
• Peppa's Chinese New Year adapted by Mandy Archer and Cala Spinner. 

 

Wild life: an animal history of Aotearoa.

Written by Philippa Werry.

Oratia Books, 2026.

Nonfiction.

Although classified as an adult book, this is accessible to interested children.

Possible read-alikes:

• An extraordinary land: discoveries and mysteries from wild New Zealand by Peter Hayden and Rod Morris.
• Wildlife of Aotearoa by Gavin Bishop.
• Animals of Aotearoa: explore & discover New Zealand's wildlife by Gillian Candler and Ned Barraud.
• Why is that lake so blue?: a children's guide to New Zealand's natural world by Simon Pollard.
• Critters of Aotearoa: 50 bizarre but lovable members of our wildlife community by Nicola Toki and Lily Duval.

  

The secrets of mushrooms.

Written by Ginevra Picoco and Lorenzo Cocchi.

Illustrated by Ester Castelnouvo and Valentina Figus.

Welbeck Children's Books, an imprint of Hachette Children's Group, 2025.

Illustrated nonfiction.

A solid introduction to mushrooms and fungi.

Possible read-alikes:

• Fungarium by Katie Scott and Ester Gaya, and others.
• The mushroom fan club by Elise Gravel.
• All about mushrooms by Alice Pattullo.
• Hello fungi by Nina Chakrabarti.
• Encyclopedia of plants, fungi and lichens for young readers by Tereza Němcová and Tomáš Pernický.
• Humongous fungus by Lynne Boddy and Wenjia Tang.
• Weird and wonderful nature by Ben Hoare, Kaley McKean, and Dr. Chris Gibson. 

Every Monday Mabel.

Written and illustrated by Jashar Awan.

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025.

Picture book.

I’ve seen a few videos of children who love rubbish / garbage day – because of the trucks or the workers. This picture book is all about Mabel, who is one of their fans.

Possible read-alikes:

• Noodles on a bicycle by Kyo Maclear and Gracey Zhang.
• I'm the bin lorry driver by Katie Woolley and David Semple.
• Charlie the bin truck driver by Nikki Swaby and Katrina Hill.
• The bin monster by Annabelle Hale.
• Trash truck by Max Keane. 

Our world in pictures bugs, butterflies, beetles & bees.

Consultant Professor Adam Hart.

Written by Ben Ffrancon Dowds, Andrea Mills, and Lizzie Munsey.

Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2026.

Pictorial nonfiction.

This is the book you need to have around when reading Lauren Child’s But excuse me that is my book – which is about Lola and her favourite library book: Beetles, bugs and butterflies.

Possible read-alikes:

• The observologist by Giselle Clarkson.
• Shapes of nature: a kaleidoscope of the natural world by Ben Hoare and Sally Caulwell.
• Entomology by Anna Claybourne and Daniel Limón.
• An anthology of remarkable bugs by Jess French, Angela Rizza, and Daniel Long.
• A whole world of minibeasts by Anna Claybourne and Yekyung Kwon.
• Insectarium by Emily Carter and Dave Goulson. 

The heart: history, science and lots of love.

Written and illustrated by Noemí Fabra.

Translated by Gabriella Aldeman.

Post Wave Children's Books, 2026.

Illustrated nonfiction.

Symbolic and realistic information about the heart.

Possible read-alikes:

• Heartbeat by Doe Boyle and Daniel Long.
• All about the heart by Remi Kowalski and Tonia Composto.
• The hero heart by Roopa Farooki and Viola Wang.
• Mysteries of the human body: weird and wonderful anatomy by Azmain Chowdhury and Daniel Nelson.
• Your sense-ational human body by Emma Young and John Devolle.
• A really short journey through the body by Bill Bryson, adapted by Emma Young, illustrations by Daniel Long & Dawn Cooper & Jesús Sotés & Katie Ponder. 

Lucky's star: the story of a meteorite.

Written by Mark Greenwood.

Illustrated by Lucia Masciullo.

CSIRO Publishing, 2025.

Sophisticated picture book.

Australian.

Based on a real-life meteorite, which fell in 1969 in Victoria, Australia.

Possible read-alongs:

• How the meteorite got to the museum by Jessie Hartland.
• Oh no, Astro! by Matt Roeser and Brad Woodard.
• Ada and the galaxies by Alan Lightman, Olga Pastuchiv, and Susanna Chapman.

 

Igor and the mending mice.

Written and illustrated by Alexander Mostov.

Ivy Kids Eco, 2026.

Picture book.

Igor’s tailoring business is threatened by recycling mice – until he figures out it’s better to work with them.

A fable about working outside (ish) capitalism, and embracing individuality and environmental concerns.

Possible read-alikes:

• Made by Maxine by Ruth Spiro and Holly Hatam.
• Joseph had a little overcoat by Simms Taback.
• Something from nothing adapted from a Jewish folktale by Phoebe Gilman.
• I had a favorite dress and I had a favourite hat by Boni Ashburn and Robyn Ng.
• Where's your creativity? by Aaron Rosen, Riley Watts, and Marika Maijala.

 

This book will make you a scientist.

Written by Sheila Kanani.

Illustrated by Ellen Surrey.

Nosy Crow, 2026.

Illustrated nonfiction.

Experiments and activities based on scientists and their careers.

Possible read-alikes:

• The tinkering workshop: explore, invent & build with everyday materials: 100 hands-on STEAM projects by Ryan Jenkins.
• Stay curious and keep exploring: next level: 50 bigger, bolder science experiments to do with the whole family by Emily Calandrelli.
• What do scientists do? by Can Tuğrul, Geraldine Sy, and Tom Mumbray.
• 50 fantastic science jobs by Tom Jackson. 

Integrity.

Written by Zanni Louise.

Illustrated by Jingting Wang.

Affirm Press, 2026.

Integrity is a nebulous thing – but this book does its best to define it, in terms appropriate to the age group. If only more politicians and leaders read it.

Possible read-alikes / read-alongs:

• A kids book about choices by Kyle Quilausing.
• 101 things every kid needs to know: important skills that prepare kids for life! by Jamie Thorne.
• What is right &​ wrong? Who decides? Where do values come from? and other big questions by Michael Rosen and Annemarie Young.

 

The fossil hunter.

Written and illustrated by Kate Winter.

Puffin, 2023.

Sophisticated nonfiction picture book.

An introduction to Mary Anning.

Possible read-alikes / read-alongs:

• Dinosaur hunter: Joan Wiffen's awesome fossil discoveries by David Hill and Phoebe Morris.
• Fossil hunter: how Mary Anning changed the science of prehistoric life by Cheryl Blackford.
• The fossil girl: Mary Anning's dinosaur discovery by Catherine Brighton.
• Dragon bones: the fantastic fossil discoveries of Mary Anning by Sarah Glenn Marsh and Maris Wicks.
• Stone girl, bone girl by Laurence Anholt and Sheila Moxley.
• Nothing stopped Sophie: a story of unshakable mathematician Sophie Germain by Cheryl Bardoe and Barbara McClintock.
• Joan procter, dragon doctor: the woman who loved reptiles by Patricia Valdez and Felicita Sala. 

The watermelon seed.

Written and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli.

Disney Hyperion, 2013.

Picture book.

Whomst amongst us didn’t panic when they ate a fruit seed?

Possible read-alikes:

• Scaredy squirrel by Mélanie Watt.
• There's no such thing by Heidi McKinnon.
• What about worms!? by Ryan T. Higgins. 

Birds.

Written and illustrated by Anne-Kathrin Behl.

Nosy Crow, 2026.

Board book with sliders.

Sliding pages and bright illustrations make this an appealing book for the young and curious.

Possible read-alikes:

• Beautiful birds illustrated by Chorkung.
• Maisy loves birds by Lucy Cousins
• Peek inside a bird's nest by Anna Milbourne and Stephanie Fizer Coleman.
• Look! A bird!: 20 feathered friends to touch and trace by Anya Serota and Christine Berrie.

 

Start with a teapot: an unexpected guide to the art of drawing.

Written and illustrated by Enric Lax.

Translated by Daniel Hahn.

Originally published in Catalan as El manual de dibujo definitive.

Gecko Press, 2025.

Illustrated nonfiction.

A riotous book! Just, don’t expect to be able to draw afterwards.

Possible read-alikes:

• Dot! scribble! go! by Hervé Tullet.
• I can only draw worms by Will Mabbitt.
• I cannot draw a horse by Charise Mericle Harper.
• Sometimes you find a dragon by Viviane Schwarz. 

Horses & us: true stories of horses and their humans.

Written and illustrated by Johanna Emeney.

Massey University Press, 2026.

Illustrated nonfiction.

Aotearoa.

Small vignettes about various horses and horse people around Aotearoa.

Possible read-alikes:

• Animal helpers: how animals from around the world help us by Ben Hubbard and Sara Ugolotti.
• Dogs with jobs by Andrea Rowe and Julia Murray.
• Horse power: how horses changed the world by Jennifer Thermes.
• Tracks through time: the history of the world told through animal adventures by David Long, Rßông Pham and Vinh Nguyõên. 

All the way home

Written and illustrated by Debi Gliori.

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC , 2018. 

Picture book. 

An adventure story of a penguin Dad and his egg. Wonderful fun, and Gliori has a way with penguins, which I adore. Shout out to unexpected Christmas tie-in.

Possible read-alikes:

• Dragon loves Penguin by Debi Glori.
• Lost and found by Oliver Jeffers.
• Poles apart by Jeanne Willis and Jarvis.
• Penguin's egg by Anna Kemp and Alice Courtley.
• Jonty Gentoo: the adventures of a penguin by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
• Born to fly by Patrick Guest and Jonathan Bentley.
• Ming's iceberg by Kiri Lightfoot and Kimberly Andrews.
• Where the heart is by Irma Gold and Susannah Crispe.
• Penguin parcel by Victoria Cassanell.

 

 

Library lion.

Written by Michelle Knudsen.  Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes.

Candlewick Press, 2006. 

Picture book. 

Sometimes you need to be loud in the library – especially when something is wrong with a friend.

Possible read-alikes:

• I'm so happy you're here: a celebration of library joy by Mychal Threets and Lorraine Nam.
• Pukapuka by Vasanti Unka and Justin Kereama.
• Books aren't for bears by Mark Barry and Katy Halford.
• No cats in the library by Lauren Emmons.
• Leilong the library bus by Julia Liu and Bei Lynn, translated by Helen Wang.
• Lost in the library and Where is our library? by Josh Funk and Stevie Lewis.
• The night library by David Zeltser and Raul Colón.
• Wild about books by Judy Sierra and Marc Brown.
• The library dragon and Return of the library dragon by Carmen Agra Deedy and Michael P. White.