May 2025 Prime Picks

Reviewer's Choice

French Bakes Made Simple
Edd Kimber
Kyle Books
9781804193150 $29.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com

French Bakes Made Simple presents almost a hundred recipes for classic French desserts, pairing them with full-page color photos for a new edition of a classic that should be in any serious baker’s library.

The dishes use bakeware common to most kitchens and streamline complex-sounding recipes for ease of home baking. This makes the dishes especially appealing to busy cooks who like to bake, but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen.

The introductory histories to each dish provide different versions of the recipe and discuss its influences and appeal. The recipe for Mont Blanc, for example, notes that “French baking has been influenced by many countries in mainland Europe, including Germany, Poland and Italy. This dessert can originally be traced back to Italy...”

The result appeals and educates on many different levels.

Scandinavia Recipes & Ingredients
Gísli Egill Hrafnsson and Inga Elsa BergÞórsdóttir
Mitchell Beazley
9781840919387 $29.99
www.octopusbooksusa.com

Scandinavia Recipes & Ingredients surveys the extent of Scandinavian and Nordic cuisine, pairing lovely food photography and landscape images with over fifty recipes that delve into the culinary attractions of Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and more.

There are a number of Scandinavian cookbooks on the market, but this wider-ranging celebration of the different nations and their cultures adds far more insights into the origins of classic dishes. This allows readers to both learn about the ingredients and preparation from an artistic and cultural standpoint and appreciate each nation’s influences.

More so than most cookbooks, the authors pack Scandinavia Recipes & Ingredients with alluring, colorful, close-up images. These will prove inviting not just to cooks, but anyone interested in Scandinavia. This translates to a standout and a top recommendation that moves well beyond recipes and into artistic and cultural value that cooks and non-cooks will relish.

Young Adult/Children

Astro
Manuel Marsol
Transit Children’s Editions
9798893389043 $21.95
www.transitchildrenseditions.org

Astro is translated from the Spanish by Lizzie Davis and delivers a first-person story in which the narrator “no longer remembers exactly when Astro came to visit ... it was a long time ago. Maybe thousands of years.”

As the strange being introduces curiosity and friendship to his environment, what opens as an engaging story of perhaps an alien encounter turns into something much deeper, asking questions such as “what’s the point of being alive?”

Read-aloud adults will want to interact with the very young to properly explore all the themes of friendship, adaptation, loss, healing, and discovery which are embedded in this seemingly simple (but not really) picture book story of connection and growth.

The tale is not only surprising in the subjects it embraces, but is thoroughly engrossing. It deserves recommendation for its bigger-picture thinking ... even bigger than most picture book readers are usually afforded.

Candlewick Press
www.candlewickpress.com

These winning picture books should be serious contenders for any elementary-level library and many an adult reader-aloud selection, sporting exceptionally bright colors and interesting subjects.

Sean Taylor’s Natterjack Toad Makes a Mighty Crunch (9781536238938, $17.99) is illustrated by Kathryn Durst, whose colorful images highlight the dilemma faced by a toad that can’t wait to dig into his cookies.

However, the sound effects of his munching attract unwanted attention and audiences from fellow wildlife—all of which means that he must delay his snack.

Read-aloud adults will appreciate the opportunity for embellishing the sound effects (“Natterjack Toad CAN’T BELIEVE IT.”) throughout, as well as the zany dilemmas the toad confronts.

David Elliott’s In the Desert (9781536223385, $18.99) uses vivid illustrations by Gordy Wright to embellish poems that present the natural history of the Sahara Desert.

From the Deathstalker Scorpion to the Sand Cat, each poem covers the animals that call the desert their home, offering beautiful observations the very young will find a perfect introduction to poetic presentation.

Gaia Cornwall’s Fairy Walk (9781536230710, $17.99) follows a trio of kids, a loyal dog, and a search for fairies that leads them through nature, but produces no results. But they are still determined to ferret out magic, even if it is nowhere to be found.

Lovely illustrations accompany a thought-provoking exploration of many possibilities in which fairies seem absent, but actually represent unexpected new insights and opportunities.

Safa Suleiman’s Hilwa’s Gifts (9781536229424, $18.99) receives inviting illustrations by Anait Smirdzhyan as it explores a Palestinian boy’s affection for his favorite tree, Hilwa.

When Ali visits during the olive harvest and observes pickers whacking the trees, he becomes alarmed. Will his tree survive such an onslaught?

But this is just one facet of an olive harvest which comes to life in many ways. This multigenerational tale invites youngsters to understand olive trees, family ties, and festivals that are part of Palestinian culture.

These exceptional stand-outs in the children’s picture book world deserve attention and recommendation.

A Card for My Mom
Bashabi Fraser and Maanvi Kapur
Lantana
9781836290056 $18.99
www.lernerbooks.com

A Card for My Mom presents a Mother’s Day dilemma as the young narrator considers “shops full of wonderful things” a mother could love, but faces the financial reality of having only enough money for one special card.

The other problem is that none of the women portrayed on these cards look anything like her own mother!

How can a card capture “Mom with long dark hair and flashing brown eyes selling pakoras at the mela.”?

A thought-provoking study in love, gifting, ethnic differences, and Indian culture delivers an important message to picture book readers.

Charley Mouse Cleans House
Katerina Gorelik
Red Comet Press
9781636551418 $19.99
www.redcometpress.com

Charley Mouse Cleans House invites picture book readers to journey into the Wild Wood and Magical Forest to learn how Mother Mole, Mr. Snail, Mr. Wolf, and others live.

The task of cleaning involves something very different to each of these creatures as Charley learns how to adapt the concept of home, cleaning, neatness, and friendship to very different situations.

Katerina Gorelik’s engaging illustrations are particularly notable, lending fun detail and whimsical creatures a lovely attraction that will simply delight young readers, read-aloud adults, and elementary-level libraries seeking exceptionally artistic, well-drawn, colorful picture books for their collections.

I Want to Dance in Pants
Jess and Ruymán Hernandez
Sleeping Bear Press
9781534113275 $18.99
www.sleepingbearpress.com

I Want to Dance in Pants is illustrated with lively drawings by Teresa Martinez as it explores young Ava’s aversion to dresses. The problem is that sometimes girls are required to wear dresses.

Ava’s mother loves all kinds of dresses. Can they locate one which is perfect for a girl who hates dresses, yet must go to a fancy celebration?

Many girls will relate to Ava’s predicament and its unexpected resolution in this thought-provoking, fun, surprising story of adaptation and growth.

Nosy Crow
www.nosycrow.us

Nosy Crow’s latest arrivals are intriguing, fun picture books designed to appeal to a wide audience.

Nizrana Farook’s Eid for Nylah (9798887771250, $17.99) offers a free ‘Stories Aloud’ audiobook version via QR code as it covers Nylah the cat’s visit to homes on her street. Everyone is busy decorating or making food, but nobody wants to play with her.

And, what is Eid?

Nylah’s discovery about the celebration’s meaning and how she can be involved provides picture book readers with a memorable, engaging introduction that parents will find especially attractive for its colorful cat illustrations by Zelma Firdauzia.

Who Ate Steve? by Susannah Lloyd and Kate Hindley (979888771311, $17.99) also comes with an audio version QR code, presenting picture book readers with a story based on the idea of size.

A big bird and a small worm are the subject of examination when Steve vanishes. Size is presented in “extremely interesting book” that uses large print capitalization drama and discussions of friendship, behavior, and bird Marcel’s antics as it explores not just size differences, but the concept of behaving oneself despite seemingly irresistible trouble-making opportunities.

Read-aloud adults will relish this fun story’s ability to come to life.

Both are wonderful acquisitions elementary-level libraries will find unusual and attractive.

Penguin
www.penguinrandomhouse.com

These new arrivals from Penguin are delightful picture books, worthy of library inclusion and parental read-aloud.

Tíos and Primos by Jacqueline Alcántara (9780593620137, $18.99) tells of a little girl’s first trip to her father’s homeland, where she meets his big family and encounters new things. She only knows a little Spanish, so how can she form relationships with those she barely knows and can hardly communicate with?

Love finds a way in this appealing story of how communication and connections evolve.

Deborah Marcero’s Hope in a Jar (9780593696699, $18.99) tells of dreamer Llewellyn, who decides to put his many dreams in a jar to keep them safe in a collection. He persuades his friends to do the same, but since their dreams are endless, before long, they have a huge jar collection.

It takes a terrible storm and the destruction of their dreams to truly understand what these dreams mean.

A thought-provoking story gives rise to thoughts of Pandora and new possibilities in a story that will lend especially nicely to read-aloud enjoyment.

Simon & Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com

These new picture book arrivals from this publisher are winners!

Dev Petty and Jared Chapman’s Monty and the Mushrooms (9781665932592, $19.99) makes a case for ‘noisy mushrooms’. How can they be noisy? If they sing and tell mushroom jokes all day long, they can be positively obnoxious creatures.

Especially to peace-and-quiet-loving Marty the Marmot.

Animal fun and antics make this a colorful read-aloud choice.

Jane Park’s Outside Mom, Inside Mom (9781665929509, $19.99) is illustrated by Lenny Wen and will reach ages 4-8 with its winning story of a Korean mother’s different personas inside and outside the home.

A child observes these differences and their cause in an inviting glimpse of Korean culture and love.

Both are appealing, unusual presentations.

Tiger Tales
www.tigertalesbooks.com

These books are unexpected, delightful picture book stories every library will want to consider for acquistion.

Katie Cottle’s The Torto-Saurus (9781664300682, $18.99) tells of a regular tortoise whose new best friend wants him to be something he is not.

Monty is used to and comfortable with hiding, but Dot sees his talents, and wants the world to know him.

How can such very different individuals be friends?

Cottle fills her story with thought-provoking insights read-aloud adults can pursue with kids (“It’s hard to relax when you’re trying to be someone you’re not...”).

Just One More Story by Perry Emerson (9781664300538, $18.99) holds delightful illustrations by Sean Julian as it also tells of two very different friends, Pip (who loves reading) and Bun (who does not).

Once again: how can such different individuals be friends? When Bun stumbles upon new possibilities, the world opens up for both of them. The story celebrates reading, friendship, and the delights of finding unexpected possibilities to challenge presumptions and assumptions.

Both are wonderful tools for teaching kids about differences, friendship, and tolerance.

Tilbury House
www.tilburyhouse.com

These appealing books deserve the spotlight from elementary-level libraries looking for new additions to their collections.

Ginny Neil’s Salamander Song (9781668945094, $18.99) will appeal to ages 5-9 with its seasonal coverage of salamander natural history.

Underlying this nature-oriented examination is the message that kids (and their teachers) can help wildlife navigate the human world as kids help them cross a busy road to the vernal pool on the other side.

Natural history facts about amphibian migrations and citizen science activities further expand a story designed to appeal on many levels, spiced with illustrator Charli Vince’s exceptionally colorful, rich illustrations.

Robert Tate Miller’s Willy and Stone Fox (9780884489726, $16.99) offers a sequel to Stone Fox that will reach ages 9-13 with an appealing tale that began some fifty years ago as an acclaimed story that became a foundation library acquisition.

The tale takes place two years after Willy competed in the National Dogsled Race and lost his dog, Searchlight. Much has changed, and now Stone Fox needs Willy’s help – which requires him to consider racing again, albeit without his beloved sled dog.

Readers both familiar and unfamiliar with Stone Fox are in for a treat!