A Bundle of New Board Books

April 6, 2026March 17, 2026 | Tasha

Baby Botanicals Series by Jillian Miao, illustrated by Riley Samels

Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 10, 2026
Reviewed from pdf provided by publisher
ISBNs: 9780593519028 & 9780593419042

From loss and a cancer diagnosis comes this lovely pair of board books in a new series. Written to reflect the walks the author takes with her daughters as well as her mother’s love for gardens, these two board books shine with wonder and a joy at gardens and nature. The first book, Good Morning, Garden!, takes small children directly into the garden, under the earth and getting their hands dirty. The second book, Peekaboo, Flowers!, focuses on the beauty of the blooms and the butterflies they invite. With bright and fresh illustrations and simple words, these board books are just right to help welcome spring.

Just right for a springtime snuggle outside. Appropriate for ages 1-3.

Breathe a Rainbow by Julie Koon

Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Publication Date: April 28, 2026
Reviewed from copy provided by publisher
ISBN: 9781419780431

This board book uses calming strips to encourage small children to take a breath. Each double-page spread offers both a mood and then a new breathing exercise to do while running your finger over each strip. The strips are offered in a variety of shapes and textures from ribs to dimples to stars. A rainbow design is offered if you feel like a thunderstorm, a flower if you are stuck in the mud, an ocean wave for whirling worries. Filled with bright colors and very effective tactile moments of calm, this board book will work well in public library settings.

Take a breath with this meditative board book. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

I Am Here by Kim Hyo-eun, translated by Aerin Park

Publisher: Scribble
Publication Date: May 5, 2026
Reviewed from pdf provided by publisher
ISBN: 9781964992419

Told in the most basic of words, this gentle board book starts with the baby looking up at the sky. They are under the sun, under the clouds, under the rainbow, under a bird. It moves closer. They are under their mother’s hat and then under their mother in a carrier. The book then turns, and looks at what is beside the baby. There is Grandpa, a cat, ants, a leaf, a stick. Finally, there is me! Smartly crafted, this board book shows the meaning of under and beside while exploring a baby’s world. Children will love seeing similar things around themselves as they and their family look around too.

A quiet baby-sized adventure. Appropriate for ages birth – 2.

Lawn-Mowing Day! By Breanna Carzoo

Publisher: Little Simon
Publication Date: March 3, 2026
Reviewed from copy provided by publisher
ISBN: 9781665973472

The first in a new series of board books, this one focuses on lawn mowing. Three big-eyed animals, a fox, skunk and raccoon find that the grass has grown too tall. Time to mow the lawn! There are all kinds of equipment to use, each with its own prep and sound. Then you can make shapes with the stripes in the lawn. When you are done, smell the cut grass. Then take a nap, play some more and wait for the grass to grow tall again. Filled with a lot of energy and a joy for doing a job well, I don’t know of another board book about mowing the lawn.

Sure to be loved by little ones with their own toy lawn mowers. Appropriate for ages 1-3.

Now I See series by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen

Publisher: Tundra Books
Publication Date: April 7, 2026
Reviewed from NetGalley e-galley
ISBNs: 9781774886694, 9781774886656, 9781774886731 & 9781774886779

This new board book series from two major children’s book creators is a reason to celebrate every season. With one volume per season, the books are simple enough for even the smallest child to enjoy. Barnett keeps his language limited, sharing small elements of a child’s world, including a cat, a red wagon, a sweet treat and a perfect hat. Klassen’s illustrations keep it simple too with a wry sense of humor that shows how each season differs even as Barnett’s words repeat from book to book.

A small triumph perfect for small children. Appropriate for ages 1-3.

Armaveni by Nadine Takvorian – Book Recommendation

April 2, 2026March 12, 2026 | Tasha

Armaveni by Nadine Takvorian

Publisher: Levine Querido
Publication Date: March 10, 2026
Reviewed from copy provided by publisher
ISBN: 9781646146369

Nadine doesn’t know anything about her Armenian family’s history except that they survived the Armenian genocide. Her parents refuse to share the stories with her and her brother. Then one day, her mother begins to share about Armaveni, Nadine’s grandmother and the incredibly impossible choices that had to be made for survival as the genocide closed around them in Armenia and Turkey. When Nadine is given the opportunity to visit what used to be Armenia with a school group, she and her brother also include a visit to their relatives who live in Turkey. Along the way, they learn about their homeland, and continued racism and bigotry, which Nadine discovers is very close to home. Learning from her grandmother, Nadine finds the courage to stand up for her family in new ways.

This is one of those books that opens an aching hole in your center as you read it. Through the graphic novel format, Takvorian brings readers into Nadine’s family and alongside her we learn about the Armenian genocide from the perspective of one family while also realizing how many people were murdered, displaced and lost. Seeing that this is a debut graphic novel is just amazing, particularly done by a solo artist/author. It is based on the author’s own experiences and family, which resonates through the entire book.

A shining example of what graphic novels can be. Appropriate for ages 13+.