Whale, That Was Unexpected is a playful picture book about Maude and her loyal dog Claude, who head out fishing one day only to be eaten by a whale. What begins as a quiet trip on the sea quickly transforms into a farewell party filled with rhymes, sea creatures, and increasingly silly additions. Despite its seemingly dour tone of being eaten alive, like Pinocchio, it’s a happy ending. The repetitive structure and building humour make the story engaging for story times. Kathryn Durst’s illustrations are expressive, and the yellow of Claude and Maude’s sou'westers and jackets provide a bright contrast to the storm and whale. The textured artwork and exaggerated features are beautiful. I enjoyed the juxtaposition between Maude’s grumpy personality and the growing crowd around her. 

I’d recommend this humorous book for public and school library collections, particularly for children who enjoy rhyme and dark humour aimed at children.

Toad on the Go is a charming picture book about mistakes, responsibility, and traffic lights. Toad takes great pride in helping others with his tow truck and believes he never makes mistakes. When he rushes through town to help someone in need, he ignores the rules of the road and causes an accident. The story gently explores feelings of embarrassment while reassuring readers that mistakes are a normal part of life.

Jashar Awan’s illustrations are colourful and emotive, perfectly capturing Toad’s journey from confidence to panic to acceptance. The pacing of the story mirrors Toad’s speeding rush through town, making the eventual crash feel impactful without being frightening for young readers. I appreciated the focus on road rules and help, as young readers are curious about the world around them.

I’d recommend this engaging picture book for school and public libraries, especially for young readers learning about emotions and responsibility.

Queen of Faces by Petra Lord is an episodic dark fantasy novel set in fictional Caimor. Ana is a young witch in a world where the magical elite can swap designer bodies at will—but Ana, stuck in a body both dying and of the wrong gender, is not an elite and she cannot afford a new one. Her hope for survival lies in attending the prestigious Paragon Magic Academy and developing her magical skills. Inevitably, Ana finds herself embroiled in revolution and adventure. The book appropriately addresses growth mindset through a magic system that is founded on personal growth. Character development is central to the action.

Prose and writing style are not the strength of this book with repetitive, simplistic, and predictable sentence constructions, while the overall story remains engaging, and the reading level is accessible to the target audience. Queen of Faces is the first of an anticipated trilogy, with the sequel set to release Feb. 2027.

Upon news of her grandmother’s death, Mary makes the decision to move her and her son back to her tiny hometown in western Newfoundland. Soon, however, Mary discovers that her grandmother may have died under suspicious circumstances—and this may be connected to a series of mysterious deaths embedded in her hometown’s history. As the story unfolds, Mary discovers more about her family’s history and begins to investigate her grandmother’s death while navigating complex community relationships. The premise of the novel is interesting and the strategic pacing of reveals keeps the reader intrigued. However, the flat characters and lack of realistic motivations, as well as the toneless and awkward dialogue, undermine its stronger elements. Little Spoons could be a collection addition for those looking for a small town thriller with themes of parenting, community, and intergenerational ties.

 Like This, But Funnier, is ironically but appropriately titled. It could have been funnier. Caroline Neumann is a comedy TV writer whose career never really took off. After four years spent out of work developing stories to no avail, her abysmal self-esteem and major insecurities have rendered her a complete shell of herself. All that changes when she stumbles upon session notes from one of her therapist husband’s patients and turns them into a pitch that sells to a major network. As Caroline digs her heels deeper and deeper into this doomed path, her personal and professional relationships come into direct confrontation and she will do anything other than confess to salvage them.

Where Cantor sets up the stage for interesting character dynamics and conversations, she introduces a character who alienates herself from everyone around her, leaving readers wanting more. The author writes a painfully self-aware character who overly relies on self-deprecating humour to carry her through the plot. The protagonist’s lack of agency becomes a studio note she gives herself; the lack of a likeable woman to centre the story, a ‘problematic’ edit in the post-#MeToo era. Some passages stand out, however, particularly an email chain between industry professionals highlighting the absurdity of the character’s job. This novel would make a good addition to collections centred on comedy and contemporary stories.

Julie Chan got the short end of the stick. Separated from her twin after the death of their parents, she was raised by her abusive aunt while Chloe grew up to become a famous lifestyle influencer supported by wealthy, adoptive parents. When Julie finds her sister’s body, she grabs the opportunity of a lifetime: She steals Chloe’s life and finds herself tangled in a web of lies, cult-ish activities, and skincare PR packages.

 Julie Chan Is Dead is a dark comedy genre thriller grounded in the zeitgeist of post-pandemic social media. Though the premise is compelling, the pacing prevents the author from fully delivering on the promise of darker themes teased in the synopsis. With lots of exposition, the plot truly takes off in the final third of the book, where Julie’s life slowly unravels, putting her newfound fame, friendships, and identity to the test. Zhang crafts a messy, bitter character readers will still root for. The prose is light with but interspersed with a few sharp internal monologues that push character development forward.

This novel would make a good collection addition for those looking for stories with contemporary commentary and suspense.

 Monster wakes up in a belligerent mood and does not want to walk to school today…unless it’s Pepperoni Pineapple Pizza Pancake Breakfast Day. Fortunately, according to Monster’s companion, Bird, it is! So Monster gets ready (slowly) and makes the journey to school, employing any mode of movement besides walking. Eventually, they make it to school where the pancakes await, and all of Monster’s friends arrive soon after. With colorful depictions of monster creatures, I Will Not Walk to School is a unique picture book that takes an energetic and interactive approach to storytelling. The dialogue is in graphic novel-style speech bubbles, making the multiple illustrations on each page easy to follow. This book would be a good addition to a school or public library picture book collection.

Cat Shapes is an endearing board book featuring classic cat antics. In it, young children will learn about shapes and the importance of the relationship between people and pets. The illustrations combine a playful art style and warm, friendly colours, with different and varied cats featured for each shape, from Siameses to orange tabbies. The clear and simple text is suitable for very young readers, and the ‘set-up and reveal’ format is great for read-aloud. Young children will love the cats’ misbehaviour. Recommended for public libraries’ early childhood section, as well as for storytime.

All the Water on Earth is a whimsically illustrated non-fiction narrative picture book. It introduces different forms of water that children might already be familiar with, explores the water cycle, and emphasizes that water is part of every living creature.

The Great Gathering Place is an illustrated poetic journey through a celestial landscape grounded in Métis and Cree cosmology. The book opens with an invitation. By reading on, we accept it and join the journey to the Great Gathering Place. On the way, thanks are given to relatives and ancestors. Upon arriving, we talk and celebrate.

Best friends Nansi, Ayesha, and Angela plan to spend as much time together as they can in the summer between 7^th and 8^th grade. Then, Ayesha gets a star role in the summer festival play McDude. Excited by the news, Nansi films Ayesha joking around in the mall. But a text gone wrong leaks the video, jeopardizing their friendship. Friend drama, stage fright, revenge plots, and theatre take centre-stage, making this a perfect middle-school read  for adolescents navigating the complicated world of middle school.

When Worm decides it’s time to move on from his career as Head Librarian, he tries out various new jobs. He does not settle for work that doesn’t suit him, and does not get discouraged when others doubt him. While his unique skillset saves the day, the real MVP is Worm’s strong self-esteem.

Follow the hilarious antics of our favourite highly-anxious squirrel in this collection of five wonderfully illustrated and beloved stories. Whether he is venturing out, planning a birthday or finding ways to stay up at night, Scaredy Squirrel follows his routines, lists, and exit plans, all the while avoiding potential dangers outside of his nut tree, and when all else fails… plays dead. Nuts About Scaredy Squirrel is the perfect addition to any children’s library or would make a great holiday gift for a child. Although geared to children ages 4 to 8, the large amount of text would make it difficult for younger children to stay focused on the story, and would be better recommended for children starting at least 5 years old. The stories in this collection include Scaredy Squirrel, Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend, Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach, Scaredy Squirrel at Night, and Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party.

This adorably-illustrated picture book features Vera, a cat who just wants to play with her catnip mouse, and Gipp, a dog who just wants to play with Vera, but accidentally destroys her catnip mouse. Gipp uses his magic wand and his imagination to come up with funny rhymes to cheer her up, but only manages to anger Vera, who breaks his wand in anger. Perfect for story time or instruction on social-emotional learning, this book would be the perfect addition to any school library. The story teaches children a lesson on respecting boundaries and how to play nicely with others, and can also serve as a tool to teach children how to deal with their emotions in a healthier way. Written in a comic-book style with panels and text bubbles, Catnip Mouse would also serve as a great introduction to graphic novels for early readers.

As a child and their father build a skating rink as their yearly tradition, the child tells their father that they weren’t invited to their best friend’s birthday party because they are not a girl. The child then steers the conversation into opening up about feeling different, but when their father misunderstands, they find the courage to broach the subject of their gender identity. Their father handles the situation with the tact that most queer children looking to come out to loved ones hope for—with quiet acceptance and love. Although Call Me Gray’s illustrations are simple, they fit the ambiance of calm acceptance in the story. This heart-warming picture book would be a great conversation-starter in a classroom discussion on identity and acceptance, and would therefore be a perfect fit for a school library’s social and emotional learning collection.

The show starts and the main star of the show, BALLy, refuses to come onto stage because the audience is filled with dogs. Due to a previous incident involving dogs in the audience, the new participants must “pinky swear” and sign an official contract, promising to “Sit” and “Stay” during the show. However, we all know that “Sit” and “Stay” don’t apply when a ball and dogs come into the mix. Be ready for a silly, laughter-filled good time as you read BALLy the Amazing Wonderball. The illustrations are amusing and bright, and the text is engaging, making this picture book perfect for storytime. It would be a fantastic addition to a classroom, a school or public library, or would make a great gift for a child to read at home.

Toad is always eager to help those in need. Whether it's a flat tire or an engine that falls out, Toad is there in a flash. However, when the time comes for Toad himself to need help, he has a hard time accepting it. Toad soon realizes that if he’s in need, he should ask for help. The large print combined with short, rhyming text makes this adorably-illustrated picture book an excellent first read for young learners. It can also be used as a learning tool during story time to teach young children that it’s okay to not have it all figured out and that it’s also okay to ask for help when you need it. Towed by Toad is an excellent addition to an elementary school library, the children’s section of a public library, or for home.

The Boldest White is the third installment in the Proudest Blue series from the authors and illustrator team, Muhammad, Ali and Aly, about Faizah and her sister, Asiya. Faizah feels safe when she is part of a crowd. She is just as at ease at both Jammah prayers and her fencing lessons. But when her classmates watch her, she freezes up! When her coach suggests she compete in an upcoming tournament, Faizah doesn’t know if she can do it. The Boldest White is a sweet story about learning to be brave. The text is simple and age appropriate. The artwork is engaging, with bright, warm colours that show Faizah’s mood and world. There is a particularly lovely spread that features one the book’s central messages about Faizah learning to nurture her bravery in her heart and mind. This heartwarming, diverse read centres a Black Muslim family and their community. Appropriate for children 4-9. Other titles in the series: The Proudest Blue; The Kindest Red.

The Ballad of Darcy and Russell tells the story of high-school seniors Darcy and Russell as they grapple with their feelings for one another after having met quickly. Together, they navigate a romantic whirlwind and grapple with their own personal aspirations during a pivotal time in their lives. The story lacks depth in terms of how it depicts Darcy and Russell’s relationship, and I found it dragged on and was difficult to finish. I think it could be a good addition for a library’s collection and is a book that is best suited for children above the age of 11.

Evie has an identical, evil twin sister. After said twin’s unexpected death, their emotionally withdrawn mother packs Evie off to the prestigious and remote Northcroft Academy, a boarding school on an island off the Pacific Northwest coast, where her father, who refuses to see her, is the principal. Enter Holland Morgan, teen star, Evie’s childhood crush, and now roommate. A queer horror/love story exploring themes of female rage, obsession, and the inherent urge of teenage girls to think they’re the monsters, The Afterdark takes place in a rich, atmospheric and decaying setting complete with ivy-covered walls, towering, vaulted ceilings, and stained-glass windows. The mystery elements are well-constructed and engaging. The Afterdark is a lot of fun, leaning equally into gothic romance and horror elements. I did wonder at the lack of attention–media, parental, or otherwise–after so many student disappearances, particularly as the students are well-off and well-resourced, a good combo to kick up a fuss. Recommended for ages 14 and up for its honest, unrepentant swearing and some steamy moments, The Afterdark would make a great addition to any school or public library.