June 2026 Prime Picks
Reviewer's Choice
Reviewer's Choice
Chillies
Sophie
Dupuis-Gaulier
Mitchell Beazley
9781846016738
$29.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com
Chillies: Recipes, Profiles & Inspiration is more than a cookbook, combining a history that blends botanical and culinary insights into the choices for using chillies in different ways.
It features some twenty varieties of the pepper, categorizing them by heat level to make it easy for cooks to choose the type amenable to their palates and recipes, and accompanies nearly a hundred recipes with a timeline of culinary discovery that will intrigue and delight food historians.
The result, with its lovely presentation and color photos, is as suitable for gift-giving as for a home cook’s explorations.
How to Make Food
Your Kids Will
Actually Eat
Anouska Emily
Mauree
Hamlyn
9780600639602
$19.99
www.octopusbooks.co.uk
How to Make Food Your Kids Will Actually Eat: Over 100 Snactivities, Lunchboxes and Food Hacks comes from internet website EmilysCooking and surveys recipes for all meals of the day. These blend international influences with kid-friendly, kid-tested flavors.
Each recipe is easy to fix, good for lunchboxes or meals the entire family can enjoy, and provides variety many won’t see in any other cookbook directed to kids’ interests.
Recipes ranging from Pancake Muffins to Chicken Tortilla Samosas made from leftovers are accompanied by step-by-step and finished dish color photos, making for an exceptionally attractive, kid-appealing collection.
Where Next,
Columbus? A Native Punk
Mixtape
Thomas Michael
Swensen
University of
Oklahoma Press
9780806196640
$29.95
www.ourpress.com
Where Next, Columbus? A Native Punk Mixtape explores how Native America and punk politics intersect, providing an unusual history that presents the evolution of hardcore, thrash, metal, and punk in the Indigenous Americas.
The set list runs across the Western Hemisphere as it traverses punk culture’s presence in different nations, drawing many unusual connections between punk’s ideology and definitions of power and the experiences and outlook of Native peoples long struggling with challenges to independence and identity.
Those with some familiarity with punk’s concepts, from DIY to biting humor’s commentary, will find these elements expanded in new directions as Thomas Michael Swensen documents the historical progression of Native punk writers, artists, and movements in circles not usually given a voice.
College-level collections interested in punk ideology or contemporary and traditional Native development will find Where Next, Columbus? A Native Punk Mixtape especially recommendable to discussion groups about any of these subjects.
Young Adult/Children
Big Digs
Kiko Sánchez
Helvetiq
9783039641246
$24.99
www.helvetiq.com
Big Digs is presented in an oversized attraction perfect for library display, blending history, science, and underground wonders in a survey of tunnels that takes a 3,000-year journey.
From the Large Hadron Collider to secret tunnels under cities and buildings, the book’s colorful artwork and vibrant illustrations makes for an involving, alluring creation that will attract picture book students and leisure readers alike.
The Boy with Big,
Big Energy
Britney Winn Lee
Beaming Books
9798889834069
$18.99
www.beamingbooks.com
The Boy with Big, Big Energy is illustrated by Jacob Souva, who brings to life the tale and dilemmas of a young boy who holds too much energy for most people around him.
Britney Winn Lee focuses on the boy’s feelings as much as his presentation and experiences:
“Sometimes, he felt like a hot air balloon that was seconds away from soaring. And in quiet places, his energy might just burst through his mouth and start roaring.”
These emotional connections and reflections will prove especially inviting and educational to young readers who may face their own high-energy problems and read-aloud adults who can engage the very young over this boy’s dilemmas.
Chick & T
Jennifer Shand
Flowerpot Press
9781486732029
$18.99
Chick & T receives fun illustrations by Esther Hernando as it presents a big Tyrannosaurus Rex whose size also embraces a big heart.
Hatched from an ancient egg and facing the modern world alone, T is lonely until his adoption by a family of chickens, his closest living – albeit very different – relatives.
How he fits (and, sometimes doesn’t) into this new family makes for an engaging story of adaptation, acceptance, and change that will delight read-aloud adults and youngsters alike.
Floris Bookswww.florisbooks.co.uk
Two new arrivals from Floris Books provide young picture book leisure readers with attractive, unusual tales.
Maria Löfgren’s My Grandma the Chameleon (9781782509547, $18.99) tells of a grandmother who “can fit in anywhere and is great at hiding.” Grandson Ari is tasked with searching the house for clues about her amazing life in this unusual, fun story of grandparents.
What evolves journeys into a connection between a grandmother and grandson which tells of an inquisitive boy, a goose, and a treasure hunt involving a wise grandmother’s legacy.
Johanna Lindemann and Mareike Ammersken’s Once Upon a Pickup Time (9781782509578, $18.99) tells of young Ben, who hates being picked up from kindergarten - even though it happens every day and his father is always last to arrive.
His invention of a whimsical story about why this is so engages his peers so thoroughly that now they all want to stay late to meet an amazing father who battles monsters and robbers and rules a kingdom.
The fun story embraces a son’s disappointment over his father and his vision of a persona which he then must fulfill with truth lest he be deemed a liar in this whimsical account of afterschool dilemmas and imagination.
Both are fun, unusual tales.
The Mole and the
Mound and the House
Underground
Will
Hamilton-Davies
Post Wave
9798895090671
$18.99
www.postwavepublishing.us
The Mole and the Mound and the House Underground receives lovely illustrations by Kasia Fryza as it explores a mole’s busy work on his underground house to share with his above-ground friends – who, unfortunately, only see the muddy, unattractive mound he makes.
Mole’s efforts lead his friends to work together to make something better than he is creating. A flurry of action evolves, along with disparate definitions of what makes a house a home and friendships supportive.
The result is a funny, whimsical animal tale about friendship, support, and vision which will appeal to a wide young audience.
My Butterfly Secret
Mahesh Pathirathna
Creston
9781954354456
$19.99
www.crestonbooks.co
My Butterfly Secret is beautifully illustrated by Evi Shelvia and explores the narrator’s “favorite place in the world,” a secret place Bapak introduced him to - a refuge for when “my heart needed quiet.”
What starts as a secret between adult and child expands to become a family secret as the butterflies first enchant and heal individuals, and then immerse an entire village in their magic.
Mahesh Pathirathna’s vivid account of nature’s glory and possibilities will help read-aloud adults introduce early concepts of not just butterflies, but the healing nature of wildlife’s presence in human lives. The lovely story will spark discussions of human connections with the healing powers of nature.
Nosy Crow
www.nosycrow.us
These picture books from Nosy Crow offer colorful, interesting attractions to leisure readers and their read-aloud parents.
Casper Salmon’s Now You Know Your ABC (Or Do You...?) (9798887772240, $18.99) takes the usual ABC rhyme and adds interesting adventures, evocative illustrations by Matt Hunt, and a different approach that invites kids to not just learn the alphabet, but absorb a fun story.
G, for example, is for “Go and seek shelter inside a tree house.” Why? To escape a wolf that apparently stalks this whimsical alphabet adventure!
Angel Dike’s Helping Daddy (9798887772714, $18.99) features inviting illustrations by Ebony Glenn as it surveys Baby, who loves to help, but only winds up making more work for her busy father.
A loving dad copes with his little daughter’s snafus over eating, cleaning, and gardening in a gentle celebration of a parent’s interest in helping his child grow.
Once I Was a Tree is illustrated by Guilherme Karsten (9798887772257, $18.99) and written by Eoin McLaughlin. It presents the perspective and adventure of a tree who grows from a tiny seed to eventually become ... a book.
Young picture book learners will appreciate the unusually lively connection between trees, books, and changes which takes some whimsical, fun departures of subject in the course of its exploration (“...I finally landed here. Next to a squirrel. Bump! You know, you can always tell when a squirrel is hungry. Because squirrels are always hungry. This squirrel’s name was Derek. And he ate me.”).
These are inviting, highly recommended tales.
Penguin
www.penguin.com/kids
New arrivals from Penguin offer a diverse selection of picture books perfect for read-aloud or elementary-level library acquisition.
Uh-Oh, Hugo! by Jonathan Stutzman (9798217039203, $18.99) sports fun, large-size illustrations by Jay Fleck as it follows a puppy’s busy day of getting in trouble.
Hugo anticipates a fun-filled series of exploits, but somehow many things go awry. Can Hugo still have fun even when his plans are ruined?
Kids following along are invited to listen to sounds, consider their conclusions about world discoveries, and more, which read-aloud adults will appreciate exploring with them.
Stephanie Ellen Sy’s Jia Has a Dog Problem (9780593697085, $18.99) enjoys whimsical drawings by Isabella Kung as it presents the dual perspectives of young Jia, who hesitates to go outside where a big, slobbery dog is present; and dog Charlie, who fears ferocious children. The contrasting perspectives about danger and dubious encounters make for a delightful foray into perceptions and differences.
Meenal Patel’s Where Do Stories Live? (9798217003198, $18.99) follows Avni’s receipt of a journal as a gift, and her exploration of the definition of a story and how to narrate and locate one.
Are the best stories those which are evident? Young readers are encouraged to note the stories of their own lives and worlds as they follow Avni’s budding literary realizations.
Jill Esbaum’s Horned Toad Has a Superpower (9780593700029, $18.99) excels in exceptionally vivid, colorful illustrations by Bob Shea as it explores a horned toad that has a “rootin’ tootin’ superpower.”
The first-person narration not only captures spunky fictional attitude, but weaves in natural history facts about the horned toad in an outstanding tale of discovery.
Brandon Todd’s Do You Really Know Flamingos? (9798217114672, $19.99) tells of Frank E. Armadillo’s misconceptions about flamingos, which creates a world of fantasy surrounding them until an actual flamingo dares disagree with his perception of them as practicing ballerinas or princesses.
The dialogue that emerges offers a funny contrast in logic and perception as flamingo and armadillo clash.
All are inviting stories worthy of home acquisition and library lending alike.
Pig Dreams
Margarita del Mazo
NabeOcho
9788410406629
$17.99
www.nubeocho.com
Pig Dreams is the picture book story of Johnny, who counts sheep at night to sleep – until a group of pigs demand that he count them, instead. The two-color illustrations work especially nicely in that all the pigs portrayed are pink, while Margarita del Mazo’s enchanting presentation of the pigs’ personalities adds attraction and whimsy to the story:
“We pigs love to be happy! And when we’re together; we’re just a bunch of happy buddies! But we pigs dream big too. And we wonder about things.”
Pig-centric young readers and adults who read to them will find plenty to love in this story of pig dreams and possibilities.
The Sea We Call
Home
Dominique Demers
Pajama Press
9781772783674
$18.95
www.pajamapress.ca
The Sea We Call Home receives lovely illustrations by Gabrielle Grimard as it explores the discoveries of Little Gnouf and Mirabelle, who are visiting the sea for the first time, only to find a baby whale caught in a fishing net, washed ashore.
It takes some new friends and group support to free the baby in this appealing story that blends natural history with accounts of friendship, group problem-solving, adventure, and nature discoveries.
Libraries and adults seeking to install early stories about sea life and preservation will find The Sea We Call Home appealing.
The White Raven
Kathryn Otoshi
Red Comet Press
9781636551944
$19.99
www.redcometpress.com
The White Raven features a compelling story of a white raven that is cast out for being different. From questions about whether family will accept it to bigger-picture thinking (“If it’s chased by other ravens...is that FAIR?”), kids are invited to think about differences, life connections, and all kinds of subjects related to being different and supporting others.
The story offers a fine opportunity for bigger-picture thinking at an earlier age than is usual, which will especially attract and please read-aloud adults looking for simple stories with big messages.
Set My Feelings
Free
Jon and Jess Fogel
Beaming Books
9798889837336
$16.99
Set My Feelings Free explores emotions and is inspired by the latest research in child development. It is designed to help kids move through their rage, fear, and frustration through exercises in play, movement, and sensory adaptations. These translate to an effective adult read-aloud experience especially recommended for adults seeking to help kids handle their emotions.
Whether the story is used for bedtime reading, teaching, or interactive expression, Set My Feelings Free offers read-aloud adults and kids the opportunity to better understand and manage their emotions:
“When they’re big, I’ll pause to see/what each feeling is telling me.”
The Storm Cloud
Frances Stickley
and Emily Hamilton
Post Wave
9798895090480
$18.99
www.postwavepublishing.us
The Storm Cloud, illustrated by Emily Hamilton, offers a fun story of Bear, who awakens one day to find a storm cloud hanging over him and his inherent happy attitude towards life.
Bear’s friends are concerned and try to cheer him up, but nothing seems to work:
“I’m not much fun today, I’m afraid,” said Bear. “That’s okay with me,” said Squirrel.
In a manner reminiscent of A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh tale about tolerant, supportive friends, a warm story unfolds about how friends can help one another weather the emotional storms that buffet their lives.
Read-aloud adults will find this invitation for better understanding friendship possibilities irresistible for interacting with the very young.
Tiger Tales
www.tigertalesbooks.com
Two new arrivals from Tiger Tales are highly recommended picks for elementary-level libraries and adults seeking memorable picture books to read aloud to the very young.
Mark Sperring’s When You Meet My Friend (9781664300880, $18.99) is an engaging story about making friends at school that receives large-size, appealing illustrations by Marisa Morea. It covers a young boy’s first day at a new school and the friendships that can evolve when giving, sensitive children help a newcomer adjust.
Kids receive rhyming tools for engagement: “If they seem uncertain/could you brush their doubts away/’til a song of joy and laughter/fills each corner of their day?”
Jane Chapman’s This Was Not the Plan (9781664300781, $18.99) presents a perfect camping trip as Spike and his best friend Roscoe use a map to set out on an adventure, only to find that nothing is easy or predictable about their effort.
As Spike becomes frustrated over unexpected snafus, it’s up to Roscoe to see the good in surprises which translate to a ‘best adventure’ that is ultimately the finest experience of all.
Read-aloud adults will appreciate the approach to positivity and seeing the good in the unexpected which this story embraces.
Tova’s Sweet
Solution
Melissa Taylor and
Aurélie
Lise-Anne
Red Comet Press
9781636551906
$19.99
www.redcometpress.com
Tova’s Sweet Solution tells of a family-run bakery that faces a dilemma when Tova becomes ill after eating a favorite baked good. Turns out she’s developed an allergy to an ingredient that is in many of the foods she loves.
As the young bear and her family faces life-changing adjustments, the very young who harbor their own food allergies can readily understand and learn from the changes that must take place if Tova is to preserve her health while still enjoying food.
The focus on a sweet solution that works despite substituting less desirable ingredients for her all-time favorite makes for a winning story, as do the lovely illustrations throughout.