Today we are sharing three new books (released today) for our younger kids. One book is a board book and the other two are picture books. We will start with the board book. It is My Animal Sounds by Xavier Deneux. It is recommended for ages 0 to 3.
About the Book:
Moo! Baa! Oink! The animals are talking! Sound chips provide the interactive element to Xavier Deneux’s high-contrast illustrations of familiar animals. What does the dog say? How about the elephant? Young readers can find out by pressing the pages. What fun!- Sturdy board book with sound chips embedded on each page
- Introduces young children to animals and their sounds
- Adorable art by an award-winning creator
Children who enjoy My Animals Sound Book will also like other books in the Baby Basics series, including My Books and Animals at Home.
- Fun family read-aloud books
- Books for children aged 0 to 3
- Books for babies and toddlers
From Me:
This is a very simple book. Each page has a picture mostly black and white illustration of an animal and the name of the animal. Then there is a round dot that the reader pushes and hears the sound of the animal. The book has an on and off switch so adults can turn the sound off to save batteries or if the kids are pushing it too much. There are ten animals in the book. Kids will love pushing the buttons and hearing the sounds. It is perfect for our youngest children.
Now we will start looking at our picture books. Both books are recommended for ages 4 to 8. The first one is Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe.
About the Book:
A LitHub Most Anticipated Children’s Book of 2025“A book that captures the dance of unlikely bonds and a way to move from a place of acceptance.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
From Matthew Forsythe, the creator of the acclaimed and beloved Pokko and the Drum, comes a “subtle, sweet” (Booklist, starred review) picture book about rules. And sharing. And an epic game of tic-tac-toe.
Aggie is very excited to live on her own—until she finds out her new house is haunted. But no fear, the situation is nothing that can’t be fixed with a carefully considered list of rules: No haunting after dark. No stealing socks. No eating all the food.
But the ghost doesn’t like playing by the rules and challenges Aggie to an epic game of tic-tac-toe—winner gets the house.
From Me:
This book is sweet, and the illustrations are whimsical. I love the idea that Aggie is excited to live on her own, and she isn't afraid of the ghost. She is annoyed by him. The ghost follows her everywhere, so she is never alone. She sets some rules for the house. However, the ghost is not good about following rules. Then the two play an epic game of tic-tac-toe where the winner gets the house. Unfortunately, they tie. Aggie makes more rules. The ghost breaks them all that night. But the ghost leaves the next day. She feels like something is missing. So she goes and tells the ghost not to visit because she knows he will break the rule.
This book is fun. Kids will enjoy the whimsical illustrations and the humor of the relationship between Aggie and the ghost. Plus, the epic tic-tac-toe game during a thunderstorm with all the ghosts watching will thrill the kids. The book has the overall theme of relationships and friendships. Since there is a ghost, it is also perfect for Halloween without being a scary book. I know when Hazel was young, we were always looking for nonscary Halloween books. You can check out some of our favorites from her childhood here.
Our final book is another picture book that is diverse. It is Bela and Lily by Natasha Khan Kazi.
About the Book:
A heartwarming picture book about two young girls who don’t speak the same language and still become fast friends, by Bangladeshi American writer and artist, Natasha Khan Kazi.Lily looks at my eyes, lips, and shoulders
as if they are pieces of a puzzle.
Bela, who has recently arrived in the United States from Bangladesh, meets Lily on the swings. But how do you make a friend when you don’t speak the same language? Based on Natasha’s own experience as a five-year-old immigrant making her first friend, Bela and Lily is about how two kindred spirits forge a bond through smiles, giggles, and a shared love of adventure, while also learning each other’s words.
From Me:
Bela has arrived in the United States from Bangladesh. She doesn't really know English. At the park she tries to say something, and the kids laugh at her because of her poor English. But one girl, comes over and plays with her. The girl's name is Lily. They go off having some fun together. Bela names something in Bangladesh and Lily names it in English. Together they are sharing their languages and learning from one another. Then Bela finds a shiny rock and Lily takes it from her. They fight. The next day they are both at the park. Lily brings the rock over to Bela and Bela takes the bee she made from the broken treasures they found together she had in her pocket the night before. They are back to being laughing and giggling and having fun.
This is a story about friendship. It is a story of accepting and celebrating differences in culture, race and more. I love how Natasha shares this story based on her own life experiences coming to the country. It is a glimpse for kids to see how tough it can be to be the stranger in a new place and teaches the lesson to accept others and treat them with kindness. This is such a wonderful message.
