March 2026 Prime Picks
Reviewer's Choice
Reviewer's Choice
Eat Like a Greek
Marina Georgallides
Hamlyn
9780600639299
$29.99
www.octopusbooks.co.uk
Eat Like a Greek: 100 Quick, Easy, Delicious Recipes comes from an author whose exploration of her Greek roots reveals Greek and Cypriot dishes from her childhood.
These recipes, passed through her family for generations, represent some basic dishes that will serve as a fine introduction to newcomers to Greek cuisine, pairing authenticity with dishes easy to produce and appealing to all.
Facing pages of color photos of finished dishes accompany such fare as Roasted Aubergine Salad, a Cordfu Orzo Stew, and Baked Meatballs spiced with cumin, cinnamon, and chili flakes in a delicious introduction to Greek fare that should be in any library and cook’s collection.
On Fish: A Seafood
Handbook
Nathan Outlaw
Kyle Books
9781804193211
$39.99
www.octopusbooks.co.uk
On Fish: A Seafood Handbook surveys the species, techniques, and recipes that use different types of fish to best advantage. It is the perfect choice for readers who have cooked seafood, but want to expand their fish dishes with new flavor combinations and methods specific to different fish such as hake, raw tuna, mullet, or mussels.
Color photos on facing pages accent such recipes as Tuna Fishballs in Tomato Sauce with Pesto & Parmesan or Smoked Mackerel and Baked Red Onions with Mint, Tarragon & Caper Crème Fraiche.
These are recipes one won’t find elsewhere, making this fish cookbook a standout lesson in usage and pairing fish with its best flavor accompaniments.
Young Adult/Children
Abdullah’s Bear
Needs a Name!
Yasmin Hanif and
Sophie Benmouyal
Floris Books
97811782509585
$18.99
Abdullah’s Bear Needs a Name! tells of a young boy’s Eid gift, his abba’s teddy bear. It comes with the mandate for him to guess its name – but though many others offer suggestions, none feel right.
Cultural insights accompany a picture book story of growth, discovery, and family connection that provide fine insights into Eid’s celebration and the importance of names, heritage, and connecting with others.
Excellent pictures add attraction to the thought-provoking tale.
Attack Bunnies
Laura Gehl and
Julia Patton
Beaming Books
9781506492254
$17.99
www.beamingbooks.com
Attack Bunnies is the engaging picture book story of Carrot Cake and Pufftail, trained to protect their woodland pals by going on the attack as dangers emerge. Danger is evident in the form of Renard Fox, a known troublemaker who moves to the forest.
When their usual tactics don’t seem to work, the bunnies learn important lessons about first impressions, methods of attack and acceptance, and what victory really means. So will the kids who enjoy this lively story of discovery, with its thoroughly action-packed, engaging illustrations by Julia Patton.
The Big Book of Pi
Anita Lehmann,
Jean-Baptiste Aubin,
Joonas Sildre
Helvitq
9783039640898
$22.95
www.helvetiq.com
The Big Book of Pi: The Famous Number You Can Never Know blends humor with science in a journey through numbers, magic, jokes, and math.
If any nonfiction picture book can attract kids to math through engaging imaginations, it’s The Big Book of Pi. Fun illustrations encourage kids to think and ask questions, math history is delivered in a lively format that personalizes the tale of discovery, and how Pi was made irrational receives embellishments that will delight many an adult as well as its intended picture book audience.
The Cloud Kingdom
Máire
Zepe
Little Island
9781915071859
$19.99
www.littleisland.ie
The Cloud Kingdom receives gorgeous, colorful illustrations by Andrew Whitson as it explores the dilemma of a cat stolen by the faery people, forcing Nancy to become their storyteller.
From mechanical jellyfish to a host of magical creatures that open the doors to new possibilities, the story moves through this young storyteller’s assignments with a series of fantastic adventure-packed tales brought to life via text and especially vivid illustration.
The book lends especially well to being a lasting keepsake, which is why it is recommended not just for elementary-level library acquisition, but for families seeking beautiful books that can be passed down between generations.
Eerdmans Books
www.eerdmans.com/youngreaders
These new arrivals from Eerdmans offer picture book stories that are winning and inviting for home and elementary-level library collections.
Bette Werstera and Henriette Boerendans’s Poems for Every Season: A Year of Haiku, Sonnets, and More (9780802856524) pairs lovely nature drawings by David Colmer with inviting descriptions young readers can easily appreciate: “The suns’ refusing to go down/There’s much too much to see./Two little cars in tall, green grass,/A newbornb fawn on folded legs.”
From caterpillars to summer heat, these poems are appealing and accessible to the very young.
Hsu-Kung Liu’s Little Monk Writes Rain (9780802856579) is translated by Rachel Wāng Yúng-Hsĭn and creates a sideways-bound book display of growth, smiles, adventures, and encounters by Little Monk as he struggles to read and find his place in the world.
A lovely story of effort and engagement captures his life and the many things he can achieve.
Johan Leynaud’s Arthur’s Cat (9780802856586) is translated by Sarah Ardizzone and tells of a boy who adores his cat Zeffo – but Zeffo doesn’t always reciprocate the affection. Arthur imagines his cat as Super Cat, but Zeffo doesn’t want to become what Arthur wishes him to be.
Two-color line drawings offer fun embellishments as Arthur aims for the stars while his cat simply wants to be a cat.
Laura Alary’s The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne: Discovering the Stuff of Stars (9780802855152) receives engaging illustrations by Yas Imamura as it surveys the life of a woman who dreams of becoming a great astronomer, even though many don’t believe a woman’s place is in the science world.
From her journey to Harvard to her probe into impossibilities and possibilities, this biographical sketch blends science, memoir, and encouraging life study in a manner that is easy for kids to understand and learn from.
Jennifer Grant’s Consider the Lilies (9780802855633) is illustrated with lovely color flowers by Julianna Swaney as it blends a celebration of God and nature with a basic example of colors in the world.
Read-aloud adults will find these elements blend nicely in a beginner’s guide to nature for the very young which offers plenty of opportunities for education, enlightenment, and discussion about God and the natural world.
All are excellent choices that lend especially well to adult/child interaction.
Gecko Press
www.geckopress.com
Two new picture books offer fun stories that are standouts highly recommended for young readers and discriminating elementary-level library acquisition.
Jörg Mühle’s Tomorrow I’m in Charge! (9798765670538, $18.99) tells of jealousy between friends Bear and Weasel when Weasel finds Bear playing with Badger.
Themes of bossiness, control, direction, angry friends, and sharing emerge in a realistic clash that will delight read-aloud adults looking for lessons to give the very young about friendships.
Joy Cowley’s My Tiger (9798765683200, $18.99) tells of a tiger with a bad tooth who visits the dentist. David Barrow’s hilarious drawings of this tiger and his sweet tooth enhance the tale of a tiger that only eats cake - which makes him neither threatening nor healthy.
When the dentist’s edict challenges the tiger’s only joy in life, his young keeper is forced to step up to explore other options.
Both are entertaining stories holding important messages that will delight young readers.
Pass the Parcel
Carly Gledhill
Post Wave
9798895090398
$18.99
www.postwavepublishing.us
Pass the Parcel tells of Parcel, who is getting ready to travel somewhere very far away. Kids are invited to speculate about where he’s heading, how he’ll get there, and whether the mail service can truly deliver in this zany tale about a parcel’s trip around the world via crane, truck, boat, and all manner of unexpected devices.
Fun dialogue and encounters make this story a delight for adults to read aloud to the very young, with the interesting illustrations a winning adjunct to Parcel’s life encounters.
Penguin Books
www.penguin.com/kids
New picture book arrivals from Penguin provide diverse an interesting stories that elementary-level libraries and parents who read aloud to kids will find original and fun.
Torrey Maldonado’s Just Right (9780593624968, $18.99) is illustrated by Teresa Martinez and follows the wisdom of Toby’s mom, who says there are people that make you feel “just right” – and others who can be challenging.
This story of a young boy’s insights about the adults in his life and their colorful choices creates a thought-provoking discourse on people and situations that do and don’t “feel right” in the world.
EmeLine Lee’s Gwei the Hungry Ghost (9798217002795, $18.99) enjoys exceptionally colorful illustrations by Basia Tran which create a major attraction to the tale of a famished ghost who is hungry because he’s a picky eater.
His haunting of the city is in the pursuit of noodles, dumplings, and fish - but he’s never satisfied. What will it take to make him feel full? This delightful Chinese folktale will come to life for a wide audience of young readers.
Main Street: A Community Story About Redlining by Britt Hawthorne and Tiffany Jewell (9798217002672, $18.99) maintains that, in a community, “everybody’s got to pitch in!” as it tells of young Olivia’s participation in an annual block party that her friends eschew because Main Street no longer feels safe to them.
When her neighbor shares the story of Main Street’s history, Olivia find new reasons to identify and fight discrimination in the “redlining” form it takes in her world. David Wilkerson’s illustrations bring this milieu to life.
Jacqueline Woodson’s Sweet, Sweet Memory (9780593530849, $18.99) receives exceptionally vivid illustrations by Tonya Engel, who brings to realistic life the story of a young gardener who must learn to tend her grandfather’s garden without him.
It’s hard for Sarah to move on, but it takes a village of those who knew and loved him enough to share their stories to help her feel the impact his life had on so many around him.
The warm story of gardens, making new memories, and appreciating those who have passed will delight all ages.
Tiger Tales
www.tigertales.com
Two new picture books from this publisher offer fun stories that will enhance any elementary-level library collection.
Maudie Powell-Tuck and Duncan Beedie’s Don’t Do It, Doug! (9781664300798, $18.99) tells of a too-curious hamster whose lack of impulse control continually gets him into trouble. Many youngsters will relate to how Doug always seems to choose the wrong thing – especially his penchant for ignoring warning signs or following directions.
The hilarious escapades are zany and will also translate to nice discussions with adults about actions and their unexpected consequences.
Donette Williams-Harry’s Carnival Queen (9781664300606, $18.99) takes place on Carnival day, when Kayla looks forward to showing off some big energy.
When her favorite costume is shredded, however, even Kayle must admit defeat and the need for just a few helping hands.
The sounds, sights, color, and drama of Carnival and a family’s interactions over its joys come to life in this appealing, vivid story.
Both are exceptional picks for libraries seeking unusual picture books with lasting lending value.