Spring Board Book Round-up, Part I
“Chicken Soup for the Soul: Babies” series. Various authors and illustrators. Charlesbridge, 04/2026. [22]p. $8.99 each.
Yin, Natasha. Brave Little Otter! (It’s Okay to Wait). Illus. by Nina Ramos. 978-1-62354-284-9.
This oversized board book is part of a 14-entry series that began in 2021 and is still going strong. The latest shows a father and son otter at the beach, with the son showing his bravery in speaking up. He is not ready to swim in the ocean so they play on the beach until he is ready. Often, parents request these types of stories with a moral lesson, so this will be popular, fortunately it isn’t heavy-handed.
Engels, Christine. “At the Zoo” series. Illus. by Lala Watkins. Candlewick, 07/2025. [24]p. 8.99 each.
Halloween at the Zoo. 978-1-53623-776-4.
Color photos of animals from the National Zoo in Washington, DC are the standout feature of this series. The photos are part of colorful collage art that show the animals with costume elements, and eating Halloween treats such as pumpkins. The rhyming text adds to the fun, and various types of animals are shown including lemurs and red pandas. Fun for a wide age range.
Finan, Sarah. “Yum Yum Yum” series. Post Wave, 02/2026. [18]p. 8.99 each.
Pasta, Pasta, Pasta. 979-88-950904-0-4.
Originally published in the UK, this dynamic series celebrates some of baby’s favorite foods, including bananas, eggs, and tomatoes. Each book has a rhyming text and die-cut holes on each spread, and deeply colored illustrations featuring ethnically diverse children. The book on pasta names several kinds including spaghetti, and ravioli. Sure to be popular!
Frost, Kit. “Wobbly Bottoms” series. Illus. by Sam Rennocks. Candlewick, 08/2025. [10]p. $8.99 each.
Dinosaur’s Wobbly Bottom. 978-1-53624-666-7.
The gimmick of this series is that the reader moves arrows to get the animals to wag their bottoms, stomp their feet, or make other small movements. In this entry, dinosaurs are the focus. The deeply saturated color cartoon artwork depicts the dinosaurs as smiling, not scary, so this is fun but not very memorable. The rhyming text has a sing-song pattern.
Ho, Jannie. “Jannie Ho’s ABC” series. Candlewick, 06/2025. [26]p. $7.99 each.
Animal ABC. 978-1-53624-140-2.
Close-up cartoon animal faces are the identifying element of this charming alphabet book. The full color illustrations feature the name of the animal, and both the upper case and lower case letter. The simplicity works well to help younger children guess the letter of the alphabet and the name of the animal. Sure to be popular.
Karsten, Guilherme. “Animal Actions” series. Nosy Crow, 02/2026. [8]p. $10.99 each.
Buzz Like a Bee! 979-88-87772-37-0.
Waddle Like a Duck! 979-88-87772-38-7.
Sliders that move or spin the animal characters are the main feature of these colorful books. Bugs are the focus of Buzz Like a Bee!, while farm animals are the focus of Waddle Like a Duck! Although these are charming, with only four spreads per book, there is not much here to be memorable.
Lee, Pui. “What’s That Noise” series. Nosy Crow, 09/2025. [10]p. 12.99 each.
Cheep! 979-88-87771-87-8.
Meow! 979-88-87771-85-4.
Moo! 979-88-87771-86-1.
Sounds of various animals can be heard when you push the button in this simple but effective series. Each spread has a sturdy flap that reveals the animal making the sound; the text repeats the question “What’s that noise” and spells out the sound (oink) and names the animal. This will appeal to very young children with the brightly colored graphic illustrations.
McKay, Lucy. “I See You” series. Illus. by Hazel Quintanilla. Flowerpot, 02/2026. [10]p. $9.99 each.
Happy Horse. 978-1-48673-192-3.
Snuggle Bear. 978-1-48673-193-0.
Subtitled “I See You Lift & Find,” each spread has a large sturdy board flap that opens to reveal a baby animal. The rhyming text has repetition and begins with the parent animal looking for the baby. Happy Horse features animals on the farm, while Snuggle Bear shows animals wearing clothing and living in a house. The solid texts and colorful cartoon artwork make this new series a great choice for a baby storytime.
McLean, Danielle. “Upside Down” series. Illus. by Matt Hunt. Tiger Tales, 08/2025. [16]p. $8.99 each.
Upside Down Animals. 978-1-66435-155-4.
The artwork is the focus of this unusual series. The first line of text describes the animal when the book is held right side up; the second line tells what is shown when you turn the book upside down. For example, a bat is flying, but when you turn the book upside down, it is hanging from the ceiling. A clever gimmick but not much of a story, this may appeal most o children learning how to read.
Spiro, Ruth. “Baby Loves Science” series.
Charlesbridge, 03/2026. [22]p. $8.99 each.
Baby Loves Robotics! Illus. by Kat Uno. 978-1-62354-567-3.
With 25 books in this popular series, it is natural that robotics would be a timely focus for this newest entry. Using a toy dog, this describes what a robot is and its main parts. Because so many libraries have robotics events, this would be great for the younger siblings of those attending robotics programs.
“Steamworks” series. Various authors and illustrators. Charlesbridge, 05/2026. [20]p. $8.99 each.
Lacika, Jenny. Manny Matches the Weather. Illus. by Antonieta Munoz Estrada. 978-1-62354-673-1.
Ruiz, Delia. Moon Chef. Illus. by Nomar Perez. 978-1-62354-670-0.
In this debut series, each story focuses on a STEAM concept but uses unique characters. The first two books in the series, Manny Matches the Weather and Moon Chef, focus on Latinx characters Manny and Gaby. Manny learns about the weather so he knows how to dress, and Gaby uses food shapes to learn about the phases of the moon. In both, the final spread has a text page with more information for the adult reader to offer the preschooler. The texts have some repetition and are adept at making the topic understandable to the young audience.
Symons, Ruth. “I’m a Shaped Board Book” series. Illus. by Matthew Scott. Candlewick, 05/2025. [14]p. $8.99 each.
I’m a Car. 978-1-53624-322-2.
Second in this unique series, the board pages are cut into shapes of the subject of the book. In this title, it begins with cars but also briefly describes other vehicles including trucks, trains, and a boat. The colorful cartoon art shows vehicles with large eyes and smiling mouths. Sure to be popular, these sturdy books are perfect for babies.
Penny Peck, San Jose State University iSchool
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