Yeti is Not Ready for School review

First day of school jitters? Yeti knows all about that! She's not ready for her first day of school either in this colorful picture book that is a gentle reminder that's it OK to be scared to start something new.(goodreads summary)

 

 

 

Yeti has everything ready for her first day of school. She has been practicing her stomping, mastering her growl and even filed her fangs. But her tummy still has the fire-breathing moths fluttering around.  Tomorrow is the big day but can Yeti think of a good excuse to stay home instead?

 

It is that time already for the new school year to begin and many kids are feeling butterflies in their stomach. This is a fun back to school story for those first day jitters to let kids know that it is okay to feel nervous.  Kids will relate to Yeti's worries when they see how she feels about her upcoming first day meeting new classmates or doing something embarrassing in front of others.  The illustrations are bold and bright and the text can be easily read to one child or to a large group.  It may open up conversation to help kids ease into a new school year knowing that others share the same feelings when starting something new.  I think this is a "just right book" for ages 3-6.~

 

Title: Yeti is Not Ready for School

Author: Leigh Ann Carter

Pub. date: July 2025, Random House for Young Readers

Genre: picture book

Hardcover, 32 pgs. 

 

 

Crouton review

 

Join Crouton, a lovable shelter cat, as she searches for her perfect person—because not everyone would be the right fit.(goodreads summary)

 

 

 

 

 

Crouton is a shelter cat who is looking for just the right person to take home. Not everyone will be perfect but she knows when she finds that special one!  Just as she starts to give up hope, an adorable little girl walks in and Crouton decides she better get her attention so nobody else will adopt her before she can!

 

This is a sweet and really cute story told from a shelter cat's point-of-view about waiting and finding that one special person to share your life with. It is a reversal on how we adopt pets from shelters and would be a wonderful conversation starter if you are thinking about a pet adoption.  As cute as animals can be, it comes with a lot of responsibility and hearing it from Crouton shows us just that.  We also feel the happiness and love that can be shared between a pet and human. The text is simple but the illustrations on each page are in eye pleasing black, white and pink tones and the characters are expressive and cute.  The book is based on the authors own experience of adopting a shelter cat and I am glad she shared her personal story so others can think about the process for themselves.  I think this is a "just right book" for ages 3-7.~

 

Title: Crouton

Author: Kristine A. Lombardi

Pub. date: January 2026, Random House

Genre: picture book

Hardcover, 40 pgs. 

 

Lydia Loves Bugs review

 

Discover the wonderful world of insects as Lydia collects bugs for show-and-tell in this picture book perfect for little entomologists (goodreads summary)

 

 

 

 

Lydia is a lover of bugs! She loves big bugs and little bugs, bouncy bugs and even stinky ones.  She is lucky because her mom is an Entomologist, a person who studies bugs for a living.  Together they collect various insects for a special show-and-tell day at school and Lydia cannot wait to share with her classmates what they find.  

 

There is still time before school starts to get outside and explore nature.  If you know a child that loves bugs, this will be the perfect book for them.  The text is simple and short but the illustrations are large, bold and colorful making this a great read aloud to a large or small group.  There are so many different insects throughout the story that kids will either recognize a few or learn about a new one. All the bugs shown in the story are real and the author has added a wonderful back page description to help understand them more. After reading about Lydia's love and seeing her enthusiasm, it may spark interest in having their own bug hunt at a nature area or their own backyard. Collecting and observing bugs is a fun activity that will keep kids occupied for hours.  Another part of learning is to make sure they release them back to nature when they are done.  I think this is a "just right book" for ages 3-7.~

 

Title: Lydia Loves Bugs

Author: Heidi E.Y. Stemple & Yuliya Pankratova

Pub. date: May 2026, Familius

Genre: picture book

Hardcover, 32 pgs.