Many of the gentle stories in this collection of early readers feature warm, inviting illustrations and focus on navigating family and friendships. These series promise to set emerging readers up for success as they begin to explore texts independently.

Elementary

Applebaum, Kirsty. The Big, Bad Snowy Day. ISBN 9798887771922. Sept. 2025.
––––. The Enchanted Forest. ISBN 9798887771458. Jan. 2025.
––––. The Unicorn Mix-Up. ISBN 9798887771441. Jan. 2025.
––––. The Wicked Wood. ISBN 9798887771694. Jul. 2025.
ea vol: illus. by Sahar Haghgoo. 96p. (Princess Minna). Nosy Crow. pap. $7.99.
Gr 1-3–This new series is perfect for fans of “Princess in Black.” Princess Minna is good at lots of things, but she is best at fixing problems. Minna rescues her grandmother and a lord’s son, finds a missing dragon, and fixes mixed-up kingdom magic. The narratives feature four to six compound sentences on each page. There are text bubbles, emphasized words, and separated text to enhance understanding of narrative structure throughout. The full-page, colorful illustrations and diverse cast of characters immerse readers in the story. Minna and her parents are Black. VERDICT Readers who enjoy fantasy adventure, dragons, and magic will want to pick this series up. Recommended for most library collections.

Bestwick, Adam. It’s Boring Being a Cat! illus. by Chris Cady. 32p. Phoenix/Sunbird. Jul. 2025. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9798384600350.
PreS-Gr 3–This rhyming text easy reader title will appeal to cat and dog fans. In this series addition, Cat doesn’t want to be a cat anymore. It’s boring. As he thinks through different animals he’d rather be, Dog points out reasons each animal would be a less-than-ideal choice. The text is simple with bold words for emphasis and includes multiple instances of onomatopoeia that allow kids to express themselves while reading. The illustrations focus on Dog and Cat, who don’t agree but learn to see each other’s points of view. VERDICT A funny animal book recommended for collections where friend-focused early readers are popular.

Capucilli, Alyssa Satin. Biscuit and Friends Visit the Community Garden. ISBN 9781098255749.
––––. Biscuit and the Big Parade! ISBN 9781098255756.
––––. Biscuit and the Little Llamas. ISBN 9781098255763.
––––. Biscuit Loves the Park. ISBN 9781098255770.
ea vol: illus. by Pat Schories. 32p. (Biscuit). ABDO. Jan. 2025. Tr $34.22.
PreS-Gr 2–The world of Biscuit comes to life once more with four new additions to this long-running series. Biscuit and his friends have adventures in a garden, parade, park, and farm. Each story focuses on the yellow puppy and his playful personality, which leads him on new adventures and to a few lessons along the way. The people Biscuit encounters are of diverse skin tones. Books at the lower level feature simple sentences and words that will likely be familiar to readers. Longer sentences that have intermixed repetitive phrases appear as the level increases. The nearly full-page illustrations have vibrant colors, simple lines, and playful images that are zoomed in on Biscuit. Many instances of onomatopoeia occur throughout. VERDICT Perfect for fans of the series and puppy lovers learning how to read. Recommended for most library collections.

Chandler Warner, Gertrude. The Boxcar Children: Curse of the Mummy. ISBN 9798217029808.
––––. The Boxcar Children: The Pizza Problem. ISBN 9798217029839.
ea vol: illus. by Liz Brizzi. 48p. (Step into Reading). Random. Sept. 2025. Tr $16.99.
PreS-Gr 2–Mystery and adventure abound in these “Boxcar Children” early readers. In one volume, the Alden children need to figure out if a mummy at the museum is cursed. In another, they investigate the sabotage of a pizza place. Each page has a few short sentences with repeated familiar words and new vocabulary that can be sounded out. Illustrations feature realistic coloring and cartoonlike images. Text backgrounds are muted or white. Characters are diverse. The background images in the museum title are incredibly detailed, but the pizza parlor ones aren’t depicted as well. VERDICT Burgeoning mystery fans readers and those who enjoy sibling stories will want to pick this series up. Recommended for most library collections.

Curran-Baker, Christee. The Case of the Heartbreak Heist. 80p. (Pigeon Private Detectives: Bk. 3). Union Square Kids. Dec. 2025. Tr $13.99. ISBN 9781454960973.
Gr 1-3–This third series installment will delight animal and mystery lovers. The pigeon detectives are called in when a cake tin belonging to a contestant in a bake-a-thon goes missing. As the pigeons search for clues and look for patterns, a culprit starts trying to ruin everyone’s bakes. Each spread is broken down into a mix of prose and comic-style panels. Illustrations span across the pages with the point of focus remaining on the detectives. Memorable, authentic, and entertaining characters are rendered in colorful sketches with simple lines. Text bubbles are included to enhance understanding of the narrative structure. VERDICT Readers who like mysteries, animals, humor, and food-themed fiction will want to pick up this continuation of the series. Recommended for most library collections.

Dale, Elizabeth. Magic Dad. illus. by Mario Gushiken. ISBN 9798765670163.
Dale, Katie. The Red Rocket Pirates. illus. by Elena Resko. ISBN 9798765670187.
Donald, Alison. Top Mop. illus. by Daniela Dogliani. ISBN 9798765670156.
Hemming, Alice. Robber Rabbit. illus. by Serena Lombardo. ISBN 9798765670170.
ea vol: 32p. (Early Bird Readers—Yellow). Lerner. Aug. 2025. Tr $30.65.
PreS-Gr 2–A magic dad, a robber rabbit, pirates, and a witch enchant readers in these new additions to an ongoing series. Each page contains humorous, single-point-of-focus illustrations with blurred or simple lines. Pages are varied, featuring one to two lines of text, text bubbles, and some wordless pages that encourage readers to engage with the pictures for context. There is plenty of white space to keep readers from getting overwhelmed. Included are quiz questions to check for comprehension. VERDICT These whimsical, easy-to-read stories are recommended for most library collections.

Elpeth, Rae. Moose on the Loose. illus. by Rowena Rae & Elisa Guiterrez. 160p. (Meg and Greg). Orca. Feb. 2026. pap. $16.95. ISBN 9781459838291.
PreS-Gr 2–Four vowel teams, oo, ow, oy, and aw, are introduced in this book designed for buddy reading. In three separate stories, Meg and Greg save a moose who escapes, look for buried treasure, and plan a rodeo. New words are bolded and emphasized at the beginning of each story. The text alternates between a prose format with minimal illustrations and a comic book–style format. Each page indicates whether a kid or buddy is supposed to read the section. The kids’ texts include compound sentences. The book employs large amounts of white space, dyslexic-friendly fonts, and bold text to support readers. Phonics activities are included. VERDICT Recommended for most library collections.

Greenwald, Tommy. Three Wishes. illus. by Shiho Pate. 48p. (The Rescues: Bk. 3). Red Comet. Sept. 2025. Tr $14.99. ISBN 9781636551562.
K-Gr 3– Tiger, Moose, and Bear return for a new adventure. With a focus on friendship, family, and home, this story finds each character feeling left out because of their differences from the other animals. Three simple stories that highlight each character’s wishes are told in short chapters. There are four to five compound sentences per page with simple and multisyllable words intermixed. Readers are encouraged to complete a maze at the beginning of the book that predicts each animal’s journey. The illustrations are soft and sketchy and add a warm dimension to the story. VERDICT This great addition to a fun series will appeal to those who enjoy interactive early readers and friendship stories.

Jinks, Jenny. A Job for Pop. illus. by Gina Lorena Maldonado. ISBN 9798765670194.
Jones, Cath. Stan the Stunt Snail. illus. by Dean Gray. ISBN 9798765670224.
Moore, Jenny. Popping Pam. illus. by Izzy Evans. ISBN 9798765670200.
Treleaven, Lou. Magic Mix-Up. illus. by Ellie O’Shea. ISBN 9798765670217.
ea vol: 32p. (Early Bird Readers—Blue). Lerner. Aug. 2025. Tr $30.65.
PreS-Gr 2–A pirate looking for a new job, magic getting mixed up, a unicorn popping everything at a party, and a snail wanting to do stunts all await readers in these titles. Featuring full-page illustrations with simple prose, each page has one to two lines of large-print text and some text bubbles. Stories are humorous and present silly, unusual circumstances. Comprehension questions are included to check that emerging readers have understood what they read. VERDICT A fun collection for readers who are just starting out. Recommended for most library collections.

Mayer, Mercer. Little Critter: A Snow Day for Dog. 32p. (My First I Can Read). HarperCollins. Sept. 2025. pap. $5.99. ISBN 9780063260757.
PreS-Gr 2–Fans of Little Critter and his family will be enchanted by the newest edition to this long-running series. Little Sister, Little Critter, and Dog go out to play in the snow. The wind takes Little Critter’s hat, and Dog goes off after it. Dog gets stuck because there’s too much snow, sending the siblings on a hunt through the drift. The illustrations are predominantly white, so the colors really stand out. The story employs a simple structure with brief sentences and short, repeated words. VERDICT Emerging readers, especially those who are already familiar with these characters, will want to check out this title.

Miller, Lucie. David’s Lunar New Year Celebrations. illus. by Felicity Sheldon. ISBN 9798765668825.
––––. Jade’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day. illus. by Rob Parkinson. ISBN 9798765668832.
––––. Milo’s Earth Day. illus. by Rob Parkinson. ISBN 9798765668795.
––––. Our Class Counts to 100. illus. by Rob Parkinson. ISBN 9798765668788.
––––. Our Family Celebrates Holi. illus. by Felicity Sheldon. ISBN 9798765668801.
––––. Our Family Celebrates Rosh Hashanah. illus. by Felicity Sheldon. ISBN 9798765668849.
––––. Sofia’s Veterans Day Project. illus. by Rob Parkinson. ISBN 9798765668856.
––––. Winnie’s Indigenous People’s Day. illus. by Felicity Sheldon. ISBN 9798765668818.
ea vol: 16p. (Let’s Celebrate Holidays). Lerner. Aug. 2025. Tr $27.99.
PreS-Gr 2–Designed by a certified literacy specialist, each book in this series introduces emerging readers to a different holiday. Readers learn about Lunar New Year, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Earth Day, the 100th day of school, Holi, Rosh Hashanah, Veterans’ Day, and Indigenous Peoples Day through the eyes of a diverse range of children. Each page features simple text and repeated phrases with a few new vocabulary words. Colorful illustrations and suggested activities embody each holiday. Back matter reviews vocabulary words and includes an index. VERDICT A fun, curricular introduction to cultural celebrations.

Phillips-Bartlett, Rebecca. Angus Anticipation Doesn’t Know What to Expect. ISBN 9781534551008.
––––. Demi Disgust Doesn’t Like That. ISBN 9781534551039.
––––. Frankie Fear Finds Courage. ISBN 9781534551060.
––––. Josie Joy Loves to Laugh. ISBN 9781534551091.
ea vol: 24p. (Mindful Monsters). Rosen/KidHaven. Aug. 2025. Tr $26.23.
PreS-Gr 2–This new series captures what it feels like to experience anticipation, disgust, fear, and joy. Each emotion is represented by a monster. The books use kid-relevant situations to discuss the emotions and discomfort that come along with them. They also provide mindfulness tips for dealing with these emotions. Though not traditional early readers, each book uses text bubbles, colors associated with the captured emotions, and easy-to-understand concepts to make the narrative structure accessible for young learners. The illustrations of the monsters are engaging and expressive. Useful tips for managing emotions are included at the end of each book. VERDICT A good choice for readers working through strong emotions.

Punter, Russell & Martin Oliver. Agent Arthur on the Stormy Seas. illus. by Paddy Mounter. 48p. ISBN 9781835405451.
––––. Agent Arthur’s Arctic Adventure. illus. by Paddy Mounter. 48p. ISBN 9781835404805.
––––. Agent Arthur’s Jungle Journey. illus. by Paddy Mounter. 48p. ISBN 9781836051220.
Punter, Russell. The Golden Dragon. illus. by Fabiano Fiorin. 80p. ISBN 9781836051213.
ea vol: (Puzzle Adventures). Usborne. Jan. 2025. pap. $8.99.
Gr 1-3–Agent Arthur travels across time and space to solve mysteries in this series that may appeal to fans of spy and adventure stories. These books employ a mix of colorful illustrations, prose, and comic-book panels. Most pages include a riddle or a puzzle for readers to solve, many of them tied to the action in the illustrations. Included are tips and tricks for solving the mystery and an answer key for the puzzles. The stories are well-written and engaging; the audience for this book is confident readers. VERDICT An additional purchase for libraries where puzzle and adventure books are popular.

Rey, H.A. Curious George: Field Day. 32p. (I Can Read Comics Level 2). HarperCollins. Jul. 2025. pap. $5.99. ISBN 9780063343221.
PreS-Gr 2–Everyone’s favorite inquisitive monkey is back in this early reader comic series. Curious George is sad when he misses a field day event in town and decides to have his own field day with his friends. George gets the balloons, the monkey bars, and even the rope climb ready, and learns a lot about planning ahead as he goes. Each spread has four or five panels with a few simple sentences in text bubbles. Panel illustrations have bold lines and simple, bright images. The author includes language play and different fonts to encourage reading engagement. At the beginning of the book, the publisher includes instructions for reading comics. VERDICT Recommended for most library collections.

Scotton, Rob. Splat the Cat and the Cat in the Moon. ISBN 9781098255848.
––––. Splat the Cat and the Lemonade Stand. ISBN 9781098255855.
––––. Splat the Cat and the Obstacle Course. ISBN 9781098255862.
––––. Splat the Cat Gets a Job! ISBN 9781098255879.
ea vol: 32p. (Splat the Cat). ABDO. Jan. 2025. Tr $34.22.
K-Gr 3–Splat the Cat returns to delight emerging readers with his antics. In these additions to an ongoing series, Splat explores the moon, gets a job, competes with his friend’s lemonade stand, and tries an obstacle course. Each page has a few compound sentences against a muted background, and several illustrations. The text plays on puns, silly phrases, and fun twists to enhance vocabulary growth. Splat’s unique personality adds a humorous element to each book. VERDICT A fun (and funny) choice for early readers.

Shore, Diane Z. How to Drive Your Brother Bananas. illus. by Laura Rankin. 32p. (I Can Read Level 2). HarperCollins. Oct. 2025. pap. $5.99. ISBN 9780063395855.
K-Gr 3–This story will appeal to anyone with bratty siblings. The main character cooks up a variety of games and annoyances to get his older brother, who is babysitting, to pay attention to him. Notebook-style illustrations are combined with soft, cartoonish images. With plenty of language play and onomatopoeia, the text is the highlight of this story. Compound sentences with a mix of simple and more challenging vocabulary promote skill-building for emerging readers. The main character is memorable and really brings the story to life. Characters are white. VERDICT Humorous, entertaining, and hard to put down, this book is recommended for most library collections.

West, Alexandra. The Creature Cases: Meet the Agents. 32p. (I Can Read Level 1). HarperCollins. Oct. 2025. pap. $5.99. ISBN 9780063439412.
K-Gr 3–Meet the Agents of CLADE, the Covert League of Animal Detective Experts. In this series based on a television show, readers are introduced to Kit the animal expert, Sam the master detective, Colby the junior agent, Wally the flying squirrel, the mice squad, and Stinkwells the gadget designer. Together, no case is too great for this team. Pages are text-heavy with longer sentences and compound words. There is language play off of character names, their skills, and what type of animal they are. The expressive illustrations have soft lines and vary in size. The publisher’s leveling system might lead to confusion—based on text complexity, sentence structure, and language play this book doesn’t quite align with a “Level 1” reader. VERDICT Recommended for general purchase for library collections where media tie-ins are popular.

West, Tracey. Ember the Fire Dragon. illus. by Carolina Vázquez. 64p. (Dragon Hill: Bk. 1). Scholastic. Oct. 2025. Tr $23.99. ISBN 9781546193159.
PreS-Gr 2–This title introduces a new dragon series that will appeal to early readers who love magic. Ember and Gus are two dragon friends with opposite personalities, but they work well together. In this volume, they team up to find the missing magic jewel that protects Dragon Hill. Each short chapter is a humorous tale that ties to the larger narrative. The bright, full-page illustrations offer a feeling of continuity and flow that will encourage readers to keep turning the pages and pay attention to the details. Included are a map of Dragon Hill, a step-by-step guide on how to draw Ember, and reading comprehension questions. VERDICT Dragon-obsessed fantasy readers will eat this one up. Recommended for most library collections.