books

Good Housekeeping Kids Books Awards 2025

| Tasha

Good Housekeeping has selected their best books of 2025 for kids of all ages. This is their fourth year offering this award. As a librarian, I appreciate seeing lists of books from non-library sources and making sure I have these in my collection too.

BOARD BOOKS

Gracie’s Corner: What Sound Does That Letter Make? by the Gracie’s Corner Team

I Love You, Little Moose! by Sandra Magsmen

Little Head, Little Nose by Yuli Yav, illustrated by Antonia Woodward

Look, Baby, Look! At Home by Louise Lockhart

My Calm Down Book by Rose Rossner, illustrated by Amanda Morrow

Off They Run! by Katie Cotton, illustrated by Rob Hodgson

The Pigeon Won’t Count to 10! by Mo Willems

Runaway Blanket by Nancy Deas, illustrated by Mike Deas

Say Cheese! by Sophie Aggett, illustrated by Pauline Gregory

Slide and Peek Santa by Hector Dexet

What’s That Noise? Meow! by Pui Lee

Your Forest by Jon Klassen

PICTURE BOOKS

The ABC of You by Julia Gray, illustrated by Sarah Ugolotti (Wonderbly personalized book)

Anything by Rebecca Stead, illustrated by Gracey Zhang

Evelyn Witch Gets a Pet by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Charles Santoso

Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan

The Gift of the Great Buffalo by Carole Londstrom, illustrated by Aly McKnight

Hope in a Jar by Deborah Marcero

Little Blue Truck and Racer Red by Alice Schertle, illustrated by John Joseph

The Littlest Drop by Sascha Alper, illustrated by Jerry and Brian Pinkney

Millie Fleur Saves the Night by Christy Mandin

Piece Out by Alex Willan

Pocket Potters: Harry Potter by JK Rowling, illustrated by Natalie Smillie

Snuggle Season by Jaimie MacGibbon

GRAPHIC NOVELS

The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby: Color Edition by Dav Pilkey

The Cartoonists Club by Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud

Creaky Acres by Calista Brill, illustrated by Nilah Magruder

Dream On by Shannon Hale, illustrated by Marcela Cespedes

Ducky the Spy by Sean E Avery

Mallory and the Trouble with Twins by Ann M. Martin, illustrated by Arley Nopra

One Crazy Summer by Rita Garcia-Williams, illustrated by Sharee Miller

Supa Nova by Chanté Timothy

NONFICTION

Discover Dinosaurs by John A. Long

Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson, illustrated by Dan Santat

The Fossil Keeper’s Treasure by Amy Atwater, illustrated by Natalia Cardozo

The Stuff That Stuff Is Made Of: The Things We Make with Plants by Jonathan Drori, illustrated by Jiatong Liu

EARLY READERS/CHAPTER BOOKS

Amina Banana and the Formula for Friendship by Shifa Saltagi Safadi, illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel

Brin Got a Cast by Lovevery

Cat & Cat Adventures series by Susie Yi

Kat & Mouse: I Like Cheese by Salina Yoon

Little Mouse Saves the Day! by Jeff Smith

Pencil & Eraser: Lost and Frown! by Jenny Alvarado

Waiter, Waiter by Lovevery

Wally Mammoth: The Sled Race by Corey R. Tabor, illustrated by Dalton Webb

ACTIVITY BOOKS

A Is for Apple: My First Wipe-Clean Book by Tiger Tales, illustrated by Georgie Birkett and Summer Macon

Fold-Out + Play: House by Ingela P. Arrhenius

Ivy and Bearlock Holmes: The Case of the Missing Flower by Kristyna Litten

Let’s Find Yaya & Boo On the Go! by Andrew Knapp

The Wizard’s Guide to Magical Experiments by A.J. Wood, illustrated by Jo Rioux

MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS

Dragonborn by Struan Murray

Isle of Ever by Jen Calonita

The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell

Vanya and the Wild Hunt by Sangu Mandanna

AUDIOBOOKS

Graciela in the Abyss by Meg Medina, narrated by Elena Ray

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, narrated by Sutton Foster

The Weirdies by Michael Buckley, narrated by Helena Bonham Carter

Here Is a Book

| Tasha

Here Is a Book by Elisha Cooper (9781419766756) Released April 22, 2025.

Cooper does it again in his signature style. Taking what could have been a dry subject of how a book is made, Cooper infuses it with wit, charm and still offers real information. Starting with author and artist inspiration and work, we travel with the idea to the publisher to the printer. Then the finished book is taken across the country to a school where one student takes it home and is inspired herself to create.

While Cooper’s illustrations are as always top notch, it is also the writing that sings here. Using repetitive forms without rhymes, this book gently swings the reader along, inviting exploration, pausing and relishing in the wonder. This was one of those books that had me sighing happily at the end and so thrilled to be a small part of getting books into children’s hands.

Appropriate for ages 4-9. Reviewed from e-galley provided by Abrams Books.

Yours in Books by Julie Falatko

| Tasha
Cover image for Yours in Books.

Yours in Books by Julie Falatko, illustrated by Gabriel Alborozo (9781951836207)

Owl is looking for peace and quiet to be able to read his books. So he reaches out to a local bookshop to get titles that might help. After getting the store’s catalog, he asks for titles like “How to Soundproof Your Forest Dwelling” and “The Can-Do Guide to Moving to a Remote Tropical Island.” However, the store doesn’t have those titles, instead sending other books, ones that are helping as the youngsters of the forest begin to listen to Owl read stories aloud, bake treats together, and make crafts. Happily, the books selected by the cheery squirrel are just what Owl actually needs.

Told entirely in the letters being exchanged, the emerging relationship between Owl and Squirrel is a joy. At first businesslike, the accurate assessment by Squirrel of the book that Owl truly needs leads to exchanges of jokes and invitations to tea parties and visiting the bookshop. The entire book is about accepting a changing neighborhood complete with young and eager visitors who may also be exactly what Owl needs in his life.

The simple illustrations evoke the warm and lovely life in the woods. From the book-filled shop to the often spattered Owl looking surprised that some things are actually working out well. Readers will want to join in on their tea party and also head out to visit the bookshop and have Squirrel pick a tome just for them.

Full of friendship, letters, books and baking. What a treat! Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook

| Tasha

Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook

Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada, illustrated by Hyung-Ju Ko (9781945820427)

This timely read captures the work of protestors and underground activists in South Korea in the early 1980s. Hyun Sook was the first in her family to go to college. Her family and she had high hopes for her future. But on the first day of school, she has to cross through a demonstration to even enter campus. Soon she finds herself in the midst of a group of activists, even though she just wanted to join a folk dance group and a book club. As Hyun Sook starts to learn more about the Fifth Republic and the political situation she is in, her views start to change and she begins to help the revolutionaries. The work is seriously dangerous, as members of their group are taken by the police regularly and tortured. Hyun Sook must decide if she will stay and fight or quietly head back to simply going to college.

This graphic novel is so powerful. It looks at a totalitarian regime and the efforts to overthrow it, particularly the ideas and books that the regime forbids. It’s a deep dive behind the lines of the activists in the 1980’s a fictionalized graphical version of a true story that the author lived through. The courage and tenacity shown on the pages is remarkable, calling for all of us to lead our own revolutions or at least read revolutionary books.

The art is done in black and white, stark at times, violent at others. It doesn’t flinch from showing what truly happened when police took people into custody. The echoes between this and our own society are strong, making one ask questions about totalitarianism in our own western world.

A call to action, filled with anger, activism and books. Appropriate for ages 13-18.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Iron Circus Comics.

 

Review: Chapter Two Is Missing by Josh Lieb

| Tasha

Chapter Two Is Missing by Josh Lieb

Chapter Two Is Missing by Josh Lieb, illustrated by Kevin Cornell (9781984835482)

The book begins with Chapter One, of course, where it is discovered that Chapter Two is missing! A phone number for the police, an email and even a place to tweet is offered to the reader. When the page is turned to Chapter Two, the reader only sees some erased and illegible text on a few pages. Then the book picks up again in mid-story. The chapters move past quickly, with even the characters noting the brisk pace. The detective arrives, the janitor redecorates with M’s and messes with punctuation. Another story merges in for some chapters and then some are blank as characters think hard about the mystery. In the end, the culprit is identified but not caught. Perhaps the reader though can find proof in their own home. Take a look!

Lieb has written a chapter book full of wild humor and a twisting mystery. The book has only three characters: the first person narrator, the detective and the janitor. So the potential suspects are limited. The joy of the book comes with the silliness of the premise, the jaunty pace and the knowledge that each turn of the page will bring something fresh and different. Lieb uses blank pages, inserts a different genre, mirror writing, and messes with punctuation to great effect.

While this may present as a chapter book, it actually bridges between a chapter book and a picture book as it is filled with illustrations and often the chapters are single pages. Done in black and yellow-orange, the illustrations are very funny, often interacting directly with the text on the page.

Funny and fast, this chapter book is a silly mess that really works. Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Razorbill.

Review: The Book Rescuer by Sue Macy

| Tasha

The Book Rescuer by Sue Macy

The Book Rescuer: How a Mensch from Massachusetts Saved Yiddish Literature for Generations to Come by Sue Macy, illustrated by Stacy Innerst (9781481472203)

Aaron Lansky’s grandmother came to America from Eastern Europe. She brought with her precious books in Yiddish, which her brother threw into the sea along with her other possessions as a sign they must break with the past. Aaron grew up firmly American in Massachusetts. When he went to college he began to study Jewish scholars and had to learn to read Yiddish to be able to read what he needed to. But Yiddish books and the language were in serious trouble in the 1960s after the impact of World War II. Aaron found himself rescuing Yiddish books from destruction. He filled his apartment with books and asked the leaders of Jewish organizations across the country to help save the books. But they believed that Yiddish was no longer worth saving. So Aaron created his own space in an old factory building that he named the Yiddish Book Center. As word spread, he continued to save books from destruction and meet with people who handed their beloved books over to him. The Center continues its work to this day, having saved Yiddish books from destruction for decades.

Macy writes with a wonderful tone in this nonfiction picture book. She shares the importance of what Lansky accomplished with his work but also has a playful approach that works particularly well. The insertion of Yiddish words in the text adds to this effect. The story of Aaron Lansky’s work is one of finding a personal passion and getting swept up in it. It is a story of hard work, resilience and determination in the face of even those who should care not finding your work valuable at first.

The illustrations by Innerst move from playful in depicting things like running in pajamas at night to save books to dramatic when looking back at the Holocaust. They are done in acrylic and gouache with textures added digitally. The images suit the subject well with a feel of modern design combined with connections to the past.

A fascinating biography of a little-known man who saved a written history of his people. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from copy provided by Simon & Schuster.

Review: This Book of Mine by Sarah Stewart

| Tasha

This Book of Mine by Sarah Stewart

This Book of Mine by Sarah Stewart, illustrated by David Small (9780374305468)

A lovely quiet book about the power finding that book that is just for you. Told in simple words, this picture book explores the joys of reading at all ages. From being so young that you chew on books while you read to having that perfect book of music that you play all your life. From needing a great bedtime after-lights-out read to being inspired to make your own illustrations for a book you love. There is the pleasure of burying your nose in a book and breathing in that smell and the joy of becoming a character from your favorite book. There are books that teach and book that are just for pleasure.

All bibliophiles will adore this book written by a gifted husband-wife team who have brought us award-winning books in the past. This one is such a warm tribute to the immense pleasure of books and reading. It escapes being overly sweet nicely by having a wry sense of humor in its images. Small’s illustrations are done in a dynamic purple with pops of color from the covers of the books. He fills his illustrations with diverse people and makes sure to capture the steps and lions of the New York Public Library.

A wonderful read all about books! Appropriate for ages 3-5, and any age of book lover.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Farrar Straus Giroux. 

Review: Look! I Wrote a Book! (And You Can Too!) by Sally Lloyd-Jones

| Tasha

Look! I Wrote a Book! (And You Can Too!) by Sally Lloyd-Jones

Look! I Wrote a Book! (And You Can Too!) by Sally Lloyd-Jones, illustrated by Neal Layton (9780399558184)

A little girl explains to readers what it takes to write a book. First, you need a “Good Idea” that you can get from all sorts of places, including your own brain or staring out of the window. You have to know what you are talking about in your book and also know who you are writing it for. Grandmothers are a very different audience than kids who like dump trucks. Books for babies should not be incredibly scary. Then you must concentrate and create a plan for your book. A good title is necessary too. Start strong and then fill in the middle. The ending comes last. Share the book with friends, revise as necessary. Create a cover and an “About the Author” page. Then start selling your book, perhaps with cookies as an incentive and if that doesn’t work tying a person to a chair. Maybe it’s time for a sequel?

The best part about this book is that it is a combination of complete silliness and also good information about the steps in writing a book. Lloyd-Jones uses zany humor to really get her point across about writing taking time, creativity and a willingness to revise. Still, the book is also about frightening babies, boring grandparents, tying people up, and being interesting along the way.

The illustrations help tell the story with their clever depictions of the little girl’s imaginative stories. Using a mixture of textures and patterns, they also incorporate collage elements as well. The result is a modern and silly mix that suits the book nicely.

Silly and serious all at once, this really is a book about writing a book where you will giggle along the way. Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Schwartz & Wade. 

Review: How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander

| Tasha

How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander

How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Melissa Sweet (9780062307811)

What a treat to have a picture book from a Newbery Medalist and a Caldecott Honoree! This is a picture book about how to read a book told through poetry and imagery. The book begins with finding the right place to read, like under a tree or on a stoop. The book should be peeled open like a bright orange clementine. The scent will be of morning air and butterfly kisses. Read it page by page, plump orange section by section. Inside you will find new friends, places to wander, drops of magic created by the words. No need to rush, just let it create new dreams and hopes that you may never reach.

Alexander doesn’t shy away from writing a real poem for young readers. It’s one that will stretch them, using a lot more imagery than they may be used to. He plays with colors, turning moons purple and zinging orange throughout. He also speaks to what books can do to us and for us in our lives without getting narrative or preachy about it. Instead his own book embodies this, taking us on a new journey of exploration.

Sweet’s illustrations are incredible. She works Alexander’s words into her art, forming them out of zinging bright neon colors, or quiet steady blues. She creates smaller pages at times, pages that are special and make you slow down and really feel the words and the illustrations.

An incredible work of poetry and art, this one should win awards. Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from library copy.