December 2025 Prime Picks

Reviewer's Choice

The Camera at War
Hilary Robets
Ilex Press
9781781579657 $49.99
www.ilex.press

If only one history or photography book representing war were chosen for a collection, it should be The Camera at War: 150 Years of Weaponizing Photography. This archive of images gathered by former Imperial War Museum curator Hilary Roberts follows some 150 years of war journalism, with specific attention on how images can be manipulated for a desired reaction in the viewer.

This focus on how photos of war can be used to boost morale of soldiers and nation and how they can be distorted and changed should be on the reading lists of any aspiring documentary photographer.

Far more than just gathering a collection of war imagery, The Camera at War provokes more thought-provoking insights and discussions into how photography can be used to enhance, spread, or alter the truth.

Clodagh’s Happy Cooking
Clodagh McKennz
Kyle Books

9781804193372 $29.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com

Clodagh’s Happy Cooking features a hundred healthy, easy recipes for improving mood and focuses on balance of ingredients and nourishment that encourages maximum joy from both cooking and eating the results.
From an author-invented Daily Happy Juice and Almost-Instant Orange Scones (which can be made in just ten minutes) to the cheery color of The Power Soup with Power Seed Sprinkle, made from spices, beans, cabbage, and a sprinkle of sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame seeds, Clodagh’s Happy Cooking is an appealing collection of delicious old and new recipes. It promotes hearty fare and an ease of preparation that cultivates joy in cooking and eating.

Full of Beans
Amelia Christie-Miller
Kyle Books
9781804192979 $26.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com

Full of Beans: Delicious Beany Recipes to Obsess Over joins many other bean cookbooks on the market, but with a few differences. It gathers recipes by the Bold Bean Company that expands the bean cook’s repertoire with such innovative recipes as Carlin Pea Stroganoff, Mediterranean Cod, Corizo and Red Bean Stew, and Smoky Kimchi Beans with Crispy Tempeh Crumb.

These dishes and others are designed not just for the newcomer to bean cookery, but also for those who have bean cooking basics down pat, and are looking for innovative new bean dishes.

Bright color photos accompany a wealth of bean recipes that won’t be found in competing bean cookbooks, making Full of Beans a winner that succeeds in increasing bean cooking’s possibilities.

The Jane Austen Recipe Book
Robert Tuesley Anderson
Hamlyn
9790600639800 $12.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com

The Jane Austen Recipe Book is a collection of recipes for picnics and afternoon teas that’s inspired by the works of Jane Austen, and will make the perfect gift for any literary cook. Fiction readers well know how food-infused are Austen’s scenarios. This pocket-sized hardcover uses those descriptions to create some seventy Regency-era recipes suitable for modern times.

Dishes include seeded oat crackers (Dr. Frederick Wentworth’s Ship’s Biscuits), Cassandra’s Lobster and Asparagus, and sumptuous Strawberry and Lavendar Shortcakes.

Chapters are introduced with black and white illustrations. No color photos, but the easy recipes don’t require them. The Jane Austen Recipe Book stands out as a fun attraction for its literary connections to Austen’s novels even without color displays of finished results.

Young Adult/Children

The Bear Who Wanted to Dance
Stephanie Stansbie
Tiger Tales
9781664300767 $18.99
www.tigertalesbooks.com

The Bear Who Wanted to Dance enjoys fun drawings by Wendy J. Warren that bring to life the story of bear Rita, who has always wanted to be a ballerina. She takes ballet classes with her best friend and practices daily, so when she learns there will be auditions for the studio’s prima ballerina, she tries out.

There’s only one problem – she doesn’t look at all like the other aspiring ballerinas. Can a hefty bear win a role usually represented by delicacy?

The message of body image, positivity, and achievement results in a lively picture book story that includes ballet terminology and a youngster’s query (“Where are all the bears?”). The Bear Who Wanted to Dance is a particularly engaging read-aloud that adults will appreciate for its opportunities to discuss different aspects of achievement and bodily image.

The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t
Laura Alary
Beaming Books
9798889830153 $18.99
www.beamingbooks.com

The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t is illustrated by Ana Eguaras and opens three days before Christmas, when the world changes with the weather, leaving in doubt whether Grandma and Grandpa will be able to reach their family for a holiday visit. But that’s not the only impact of a snow storm.

The house becomes dark and cold, food is consumed by candlelight, and there’s no light for bedtime reading or a bath.

The lovely story builds a feeling of warmth that stems from friendship, family, and embracing the winter season.

Librarians and adults who read books to kids will appreciate the opportunity to explore the warm feelings that come from this delightfully evocative holiday story.

A Gallery of Cats
Ruth Brown
Scallywag press
9781836300205 $18.99
www.scallywagpress.com

A Gallery of Cats pairs picture book with art instruction, choosing a subject that will appeal to many young readers – cats.

Paint-splashed cat Jackson guides young Tom and his readers through an art gallery and explores both artist personalities and the art they produced. A series of facing full-page color plates accompanies the boy (and his increasing entourage of cats) through the art world.

Adults will appreciate the appeal and education of this very different approach to art history and cats.

The Koala and the Little Tree
Alissa Malnati
Little Steps Publishing
9781916790988 $18.99
www.littlesteps.com.au

The Koala and the Little Tree receives lovely illustrations by Aleksandra Szmidt as it follows the aftermath of a deadly forest fire that forces a brave koala and a little tree to work together to survive and rebuild their home.

This first book in The Endangered Series pairs fiction with profiles of endangered species, illustrating concepts of conservation and adding emotional interactions and overlays adults will find perfect for thought-provoking discussions:

“Why do I feel so hollow?” the little tree asked.

“The fire took our home,” the koala replied.

Magic and recovery work together to create an engrossing story of rebuilding that parents will find easy to read aloud to the very young.

Life (As We Know It)
Ziggy Hanaor and Cirstóbal Schmal
Cicada Books Ltd.
9781800660564 $21.99
www.cicadabooks.co.uk

Life (As We Know It) marries warm illustrations with a lively story about the universe’s evolution in a science creation story that reviews how planets were born, how one planet in particular (Earth) evolved, and how animals came to be.

The science is presented alongside revealing color drawings that trace this journey for picture book readers and adults who can easily read this book to the very young.

Filled with a logical progression of science, Life (As We Know It) provides an overview to a younger age range than usually receives details about the Big Bang and its aftermath.

Lucky Dog Comes Home
John Spray and Scot Ritchie
Pajama Press
9781772783414 $18.95
www.pajamapress.ca

Lucky Dog Comes Home tells of a man who lives a peaceful farm life - until he’s recruited to join the army during World War II. After the war, the family farm is sold and George must find a new job. His new life as a mailman seems staid until neighborhood dogs begin to follow him from door to door, with the pack growing by the day.

The experiences of returning home from war to find life changed, adapting to new routines, and making new friends comes alive in a picture book filled with canine appeal and information on the experiences of veterans returning home from war.

Lively drawings contribute to an engaging story of dogs, friendship, and community recovery. These elements make for the perfect starting point for adult discussions with kids about the impact of war on domestic soil, making Lucky Dog Comes Home an engaging picture book that holds many themes not usually explored in books for the very young.

My Home is in My Backpack
Eugenia Perrella and Angela Saterno
Floris Books
97811782509257 $19.99
www.florisbooks.co.uk

My Home is in My Backpack tells of daily long walks undertaken by Clara and her family in the course of a day. They live in a village of tents, but embark on journeys that make the definition of ‘home’ a fluid place that translates to wherever they lay their backpacks and can be together.

Many natural events light up the dark world for them. My Home is in My Backpack celebrates family and connections which emerge even from seeming homelessness and nomadic travel, making for a picture book strong in family connections and positivity.

My Trip with Drip
Josephine Mark
Helvetiq
9781039641079 $24.95
www.helvetiq.com

My Trip with Drip is translated by Andrew Shields and presents a full-color graphic novel about a foul-mouthed lone wolf and a toxic bunny that embark on a road trip together.

The graphic novel’s subtle humor makes it a recommendation for middle grades and up as it blends irony, observation, and themes of courage and friendship into a vivid adventure following an unusual journey experienced not only by extraordinary characters, but an IV drip.

The hilariously odd trip, including exploding polyester and other confrontations, will attract graphic novel readers who will find My Trip with Drip’s level of action and maturity both colorful and unpredictable.

Nosy Crow Press
www.nosycrow.us

These new books from Nosy Crow Press are oversized attractions that lend especially well to library display that attract young reader interest.

Mike Rampton’s There Are No Silly Questions (9798887771960, $24.99) gathers several hundred fun questions, pairs them with illustrations by Guilherme Karsten, and adds zany, funny perspectives to situations that have been fact-checked by experts at the University of Cambridge.

Questions range from “Do aliens exist?” to “What was the first dinner ever made?” and “Why was money invented?” These offer young trivia pursuers a winning blend of history, intrigue, and ideas that are designed to spark discussion and insight about all kinds of things in life. Topics range from intellectual queries to developments key to understanding human beings and their penchant for knowledge.

Matt Hunt’s How to Find a Yeti (9798887772127, $18.99) tells of a little boy who is certain that yetis exist. In fact, he knows one lives in the forest behind his house, even if his avid search doesn’t turn up evidence (which is frustrating, for this self-avowed yeti expert).

Perhaps he just needs the right assistant to guide him to the perfect yeti hideout?

A fun story evolves which kids will find compelling and original, with the first-person narration adding to the tale’s allure and attraction for parents who enjoy choosing unusual stories for kids.

Penguin Books
www.penguin.com/kids

These new releases from Penguin offer a treasure trove of diverse, high-quality picture books. They are especially recommended for lasting library lending, as well as to adults reading to kids.

Lindsey Leigh’s The Dirt! Wild Life Under the Soil’s Surface (9780593889657, $17.99) encourages advanced elementary-level to early middle-grade readers to dig into soil biology through a lively survey that looks almost like a graphic novel, reads with an action-packed punch to attract attention (i.e. about the black-footed ferret: “This adorable animal is really a skilled hunter with a powerful bite.”), and offers a natural history about dirt and the creatures that live in, root around in, or rely upon it.

The spirited coverage includes plants, animals, and bacteria in an eye-catching survey meant to delight and educate.

War is Over! (9798217040094, $19.99) comes from Brad Booker, Dave Mullins, and Sean Ono Lennon and enjoys fine illustrations by Max Narciso. The picture book message about peace is based on John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s short animated film.

Carrier pigeon Julia delivers messages to the battlefield, but also is tasked with introducing a game to solders on both sides, to encourage peace.

Vivid illustrations enhance the uplifting story of coming together and promoting understanding.

Gabrielle Balkan’s What Medicine Can Do (9798217051243, $19.99) provides picture book readers with an early introduction to the possibilities of medicine. It uses inviting art by Alberto Lot to review the benefits of medicine and its impact on the body.

As a primer on medicine’s role in health, What Medicine Can Do makes for the perfect introduction that read-aloud adults can use to introduce the world of medicine to the very young.

Fanny’s Big Idea: How Jewish Book Week Was Born (9798217003259, $18.99) introduces its history through inviting illustrations by Alyssa Russell. It focuses on a young Jewish girl who loves libraries and books. She wants to know more about her newfound home in the United States after she immigrates from Russia.

Fanny’s affection for books and knowledge leads her to ignore social convention as she matures, yet refuses to set aside her beloved books. Eventually she became the first Jewish director of a Boston branch library, with the opportunity to promote books in an unusual way that encouraged patrons to explore their heritage.

Jan Brett’s The Christmas Sweater (9780593539918, $19.99) represents the perfect holiday picture book with the story of Yiayia, who makes a Christmas sweater for her grandson’s dog, Ariadne. Unfortunately, Ari doesn’t think the sweater is perfect, at all.

A holiday journey brings enlightenment, angst, and discovery as the sweater becomes an unexpected key to getting lost and found in this warm story of a holiday journey that draws from Greek mythology, but adds contemporary flavors that will attract young readers – especially those fascinated by canines.

Bethany Barton’s I’m Trying to Love Farts (9780593693773, $18.99) features satisfyingly hilarious facts and insights into farts which will engage kids fascinated with bodily functions. From surprising insights on what creatures fart the most to the biology of flatulence and the possibilities that ordinary folk harbor “fart factories,” this picture book is jovial and fun.

All are exceptional additions, highly recommended for any lending library or for adults reading aloud to kids.

Please Look After This Cat
Kasia Antczak and Kasia Fryza
Post Wave
9798895090268 $18.99
www.postwavepublishing.com

Please Look After This Cat is a guide to caring for a cat that comes from cat narrator Dot, who explains how cats live and thrive and how humans can care for them properly.

Various pet challenges emerge, from a cat that loves fresh water from the tap and is not so enthusiastic about a plain water bowl to dealing with a cat that would rather scratch the furniture than use a scratching post, and cats who find friendship with cats outside the home.

A cat’s perspective is captured in a fun page that outlines the dilemma and then, in a facing page, explores ideas for problem-solving and resolution.

Adults will find Please Look After This Cat a much more practical and appealing guide than other picture books about cats and their care.

A Song of the Seasons
Yibing Deng
Post Wave
9798895090305 $18.99
www.postwavepublishing.us

A Song of the Seasons follows the awakening of a timeless forest in which bears rise from hibernation. The forest’s colors change and seasonal changes follow the cubs as they explore and experience a new home outside of their cave.

Yibing Deng creates a fine march through seasonal changes with a picture book story that helps kids better understand the movement of time, seasons, and the adaptations of animals that live in nature.

Adults that choose A Song of the Seasons to read aloud will find the very simple language and logical ties between seasons, various outdoor environments, and animals to be nicely presented, attractive, and easy to discuss.

The Very Fine Clock
Muriel Spark
Transit Books
9798893380262 $19.95
www.transitchildrenseditions.org

The Very Fine Clock pairs black and white drawings by Edward Gorey with the picture book tale of a very fine clock named Ticky, who journeys from Switzerland to the home of Professor Morris.

Ticky’s reliability makes him the favorite of all Professor John’s friends, and Ticky would love his grandfather clock to learn about his achievement.

As Ticky earns the title of Professor and struggles with friendship and life changes thanks to his achievement, young readers receive important lessons in others’ feelings, perfection, and impact.

The result is a picture book that parents will want to enjoy with young listeners so that its many messages are discussed with maximum clarity.