A Bad Prince, a Visit to Morningtown, and a Very Worried Potato: 10 New Picture Books You’ll Love

Leila in Saffron, by Rukhsanna Guidroz and Dinara Mirtalipova 
Leila in Saffron is a gorgeously illustrated picture book about a young girl who looks in the mirror and doesn’t like what she sees (“skinny arms and knobby knees”). Through a lively and love filled dinner at her Naani’s house with her Pakastani family, Leila begins to learn more about her heritage and embrace it. By the last page Leila looks in the mirror again, wearing a beautiful silk saffron scarf her grandmother gives her, and this time she sees and loves her true self. The vivid sensory details in this book like “the scent of sweet nutty ghee” and the taste of curry cooked with onions, garlic, and ginger will make you wish you were invited to this family dinner, too.

The Most Terrible of All, by Muon Thi Van and Matt Meyers 
This terrific twist on a classic fairy tale stars a monster named Smugg who looks into his magic mirror every morning and asks, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most terrible one of all?” As you can imagine, one morning the mirror has another even more terrible monster in mind. In fact, this new terrible monster has just moved next door, and this does not sit well with Smugg at all. Smugg goes on a search for his competition, and what he discovers surprises everyone. (Or perhaps, if you’ve had a new baby brother or sister to deal with, you may not be quite as surprised as Smugg.)

Welcome to Morningtown, by Blake Liliane Hellman and Steven Henry
This delightful book would be a great read aloud to start or end any day! Sweet, simple text and adorable pictures of all of the animals who wake up to greet the day in Morningtown make this a fun book to share with your young reader. From beavers zipping down water slides, to bunnies bouncing on beds, the day is filled with fun activities for all of the creatures! (And a nap, for some too.)

Lena’s Slippers, by Ioana Hobai
Lena loves to dance and is excited to be a daffodil in this year’s school recital. Her strict teacher Mrs. Pascu insists that all of the daffodils have the same costume and white ballet slippers. But at home money is tight, which makes getting the slippers for the performance a big obstacle to pursuing Lena’s dancing aspirations. Lena comes up with a clever idea which saves the performance and gets her one leap closer to fulfilling her dreams.

Twinkle, by Katharine Holabird and Sarah Warburton 
Fans of Angelina Ballerina, (and pink, and sparkles!) will adore this new picture book about an enthusiastic and befuddled fairy named Twinkle. Twinkle’s first day at the Fairy School of Magic and Music doesn’t go quite as smoothly as hoped, and when she tries to practice her spells that night things really go haywire. Luckily Twinkle’s wise and patient teacher Miss Flutterbee has some melodic ideas to help Twinkle find her sparkle!

Prince Bertram the Bad, by Arnold Lobel 
This book by Caldecott medal winning author Arnold Lobel (of Frog and Toad fame!) is being reissued for a whole new generation of young readers. This book feels like a classic fairy tale, and is still as enjoyable today as when it was first written. Prince Bertram is a very bad little prince who fights with other kids, pulls up the royal roses, and breaks all of his toys. One day he happens to hit the wrong target with his slingshot (a witch!) and she turns him into a dragon. Laughed out of his castle and living in the forest far from his home and family, Bertram needs to change his selfish ways or risk losing everything that matters.

I’m Worried, by Michael Ian Black and Debbie Ridpath Ohi 
I’m a worrier myself, and I found this book a tad too relatable. A girl, a flamingo, and a potato are worried about everything. They’re extremely worried about the future, because there’s no guarantee that bad things won’t happen. This book teaches kids to try and enjoy the moment, stay in the present, and not worry about the uncontrollable future. (A lesson most adults could probably use as well!)

Trains Run!, by George Ella Lyon, Benn Lyon, and Mick Wiggins 
If you have a young reader who is obsessed with trains, they will adore this book. This story features every kind of train there is, from circus trains, to subways, to locomotives. The pages are filled with beautiful pictures that illustrate the trains’ journeys through the mountains, over bridges, and beyond. Buy your ticket and climb aboard!

Dinosaur Farm!, by Penny Dale 
Dinosaur fans will love this fun book about dinosaurs working on a farm. These hard working dinosaurs drive plows, feed the sheep, build wooden fences, and roll hay all in preparation for the big farm show! Brightly illustrated endpapers featuring different types of dinosaurs and farm machines like apple pickers and tractors are a nice bonus.

Hangry, by Drew Brockington 
Another emotion I can relate to, Hangry is that explosive combination of hungry and angry. This picture book is about a lizard monster who almost destroys a city after he doesn’t get his hot dog. If you’ve ever had, or witnessed, a hungry toddler throwing a tantrum, this hilarious book may seem a tad too familiar.