For many kids August means going back to school or taking their first steps into a classroom, while for the youngest children it can be just the beginning of learning new concepts that are the building blocks of education in lots of fun ways. Board books are perfect for sharing the language, math, science, and other concepts that little ones need to learn along the way to being ready for school themselves!
Thanks to Phaidon Press for sending me this book for review!
Small Monster, Big Monster: A Seriously Silly Book of Opposites
By Allan Sanders
Ready to have monstrous fun learning opposites? Allan Sanders transports kids to a vibrant world where monsters and humans coexist, with hilarious results. What happens when a “monster gets ON the bus?” As you might imagine, “passengers get OFF.” And they’re not just getting off, they’re scrambling through the windshield as fast as they can. All except a young girl who welcomes the monster with a smile and wave. What do you imagine a monster will do after seeing a tornado from INSIDE? Go OUTSIDE to ride it, of course!
These monsters aren’t scary! All they want to do is play, dance the night away, enjoy getting FULL on pizza (who doesn’t?!), and engage in some of people’s favorite sports. Little learners will love hanging with these monsters who are just as curious, active, ingenious, and friendly as they are as they learn opposites that make the world work!
Allan Sanders’ brightly colored pages, accented with neon touches, will immediately draw little ones to these funny, friendly monsters, who take part in activities from the city to the gym to the ski slope and beyond in their own unique style. Kids will also love spotting lots of silly surprises on each spread during giggly read-alouds.
Ages Baby – 3
Phaidon Press, 2026 | ISBN 978-1837292110
About the Author/Illustrator
Allan Sanders is an illustrator and artist who lives by the sea in Brighton, UK. He has illustrated several Children’s books including On the Move, My Amazing Body, Outer Space, The Animal World, The Book of Perfectly Perilous Math, and most recently The Alphabet of Alphabets and A Number of Numbers for Wide Eyed Editions. He likes diagrams, limited palettes, screen printing, comic books, handwritten type, and wonky perspectives. Visit him at allansanders.co.uk.
You can purchase Small Monster, Big Monster: A Seriously Silly Book of Opposites from these booksellers.
Every month can be full of family fun, but in August we take time to celebrate the longer, more relaxed days of summer that can lead to special times together. Little ones especially love having fun while learning about the world and all its variations. This month is in many ways a transitional month as the weather can fluctuate from the high heat of summer to the cooling comfort of autumn, and the relaxed days of summer vacation return to the rigors of a school schedule. Today’s board book helps young children navigate these changes as they get ready to set their own course whether they’re going to daycare, starting school, or exploring from home!
Thanks to Charlesbride and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sending me this book for review!
Manny Matches the Weather
Manny y el tiempo hacen juego (Spanish bilingual edition) (Steamworks)
Written by Jenny Lacika | Illustrated by Antonieta Muñoz Estrada | Translated by Anyeliz Pagan Munoz
In this welcoming board book, Manny finds that often when he dresses himself, the clothes he’s chosen aren’t quite right for the weather conditions. Manny knows he looks stylish in his outfits, but they sometimes let him down, leaving him sweating, shivering, or even soaked. He wants to learn how to pick just the right clothes.
Mami suggests checking the temperature on a weather app, but Manny wants to figure out how to choose the right pants, shirts, shoes, and accessories “all by himself.” If only there were clues to help Manny decide. In fact, there are! Young readers will learn how they can read and gauge the temperature and other conditions from inside before they hit the outdoors as well as the skill of mixing and matching to attain the perfect combination of pieces that show off their unique style while keeping them perfectly comfortable every day.
Back matter titled “Picking up STEAM” discusses how children can use scientific tools like thermometers and observation to learn how different weather conditions and elements, such as shade and the color of the sky, look and feel. Manny Matches the Weather is part of STEAMWORKS, a series of fiction board books for ages 0-3 that relate science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) to kids’ everyday lives.
Manny y el tiempo hacen juego
¡Ediciones simultáneas en Inglés y bilingüe en Español e Inglés! Acompaña a Manny a explorar la temperatura y el tiempo, ¡porque el STEAM es para todos y está en todos lados! Parte de STEAMWORKS, una serie de libros de cartón de ficción para niños de 0 a 3 años que relacionan la ciencia, la tecnología, la ingeniería, las artes y las matemáticas (STEAM, por sus siglas en inglés) con la vida diaria de los niños.
In her engaging and confidence-building board book, Jenny Lacika introduces young children to a thoughtful and independent boy who recognizes a problem and determines to solve it on his own. The issue of dressing is unique to every child, depending on their tolerance for different weather conditions and their burgeoning sense of style. Encouraging kids to choose their own outfits and learn from their experiences even from the youngest ages is a meaningful step in their education and promotes self-reliance, creativity, and positive self-esteem. Lacika’s cheerful and straightforward text is sprinkled with questions that invite readers to share in Manny’s observations, while fostering the idea of scientific observation in themselves.
Antonieta Muñoz Estrada’s vibrant illustrations take kids into Manny’s room and outside to view how his clothing choices match the weather before he learns to take cues from what he sees and afterward. On each page, she gives readers many opportunities to point out and talk about various types of clothing and weather-dependent accessories; recognize sunny, rainy, windy, and snowy weather; and compare Mami’s weather-appropriate outfits to Manny’s as he learns.
Perfect to share with young children all year around, Manny Matches the Weather is an inviting and impactful board book that makes learning the important skill of weather-appropriate dressing fun while introducing the concept of scientific observation. It is a must for any library collection as well as daycare, preschool, and home bookshelves.
Ages Baby – 3
Charlesbridge, 2026 | ISBN 978-1623546731
About the Author
Jenny Lacika is a children’s writer from Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is the author of Beto’s Berry Treasure and Again, Essie?, winner of the Mathical Award. As a Chicana, MIT grad, chronically ill, mother of two, her work often explores themes relating to STEM education, disability and accessibility, and Chicanx culture and history. She now lives in her hometown with her husband and children.
About the Illustrator
Antonieta Muñoz Estrada is a kidlit illustrator and digital artist from Mexico. She graduated from the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Facultad de Bellas Artes in 2007, with a bachelor of visual arts degree, specializing in graphic design. She loves to draw funny, colorful characters with meaningful stories, and over all, she wants to make others happy with her illustrations. http://www.mariadrawss.com.
You can purchase Manny Matches the Weather from these booksellers
Today we celebrate kids—their joy, exuberance, and nearly endless excitement to learn new things. The youngest children are especially enthusiastic as they discover their own way of looking at and interacting with the world. Today’s books explore skills that kids use every day in fun and helpful ways.
Thanks to Charlesbride and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sending me this book for review!
Moon Chef | Chef luna
Written and Translated by Delia Ruiz | Illustrated by Nomar Perez
Gaby loves helping her parents in the kitchen, and she’s made a surprising observation! When she sees the moon through the windows of her house, its shape reminds her of her favorite foods. And what’s more—the shape of the moon is always changing! Sometimes the moon is a full circle like the rellenos de papa her family ate for dinner, but days later the moon is a half-circle, reminding Gaby of the empanadillas on the platter.
As she grabs a plantain to create tostones, she realizes it looks like the crescent moon she sees out the kitchen window. On another day, she decides that the “moon is hiding” as she licks her dusky blue “flan plate clean like new, and it blends in with the sky.” When the moon reappears, Gaby is happy to find other tasty snacks to track it’s progress back to a full moon for a complete “monthly moon menu.”
“Picking up STEAM” back matter includes a discussion of the moon and its shape as a sphere that goes through various stages throughout the month. Illustrations of the moon identify the eight lunar phases, educating kids about this phenomenon. Tips for how adults and children can explore the concepts in the book at the grocery store and while looking at the moon also make science learning fun. Moon Chef/Chef Luna is part of STEAMWORKS, a series of fiction board books for ages 0-3 that relate science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) to kids’ everyday lives.
¡Hola, Luna! Sigue el ciclo de las fases lunares a medida que Gaby llena su plato (¡y la barriga!) con alimentos que coinciden con la forma de la luna que ve en el cielo. De la media luna a la guayaba gibosa, las formas de los alimentos crecen y decrecen a medida que avanza el mes, al igual que las fases lunares. Amplía lo aprendido más allá de la historia con el material de apoyo elaborado por expertos, que incluye información adicional sobre las fases lunares y actividades STEAM divertidas.
Parte de Steamworks, una serie de libros de cartón de ficción para niños de 0 a 3 años que relacionan la ciencia, la tecnología, la ingeniería, las artes y las matemáticas (STEAM, por sus siglas en inglés) con la vida diaria de los niños.
Delia Ruiz’s creativity in comparing whole and sliced fruit and vegetables as well as finished dishes to the phases of the moon will excite young readers and prompt them to do the same with their own favorite foods and objects around their homes. Concrete associations such as these make an impression as children learn to connect something they know to an unfamiliar concept or subject and extrapolate that knowledge to other topics. Ruiz’s Gaby is an enthusiastic companion for little ones discovering new tastes at home and exploring their world nearby and as far as the eye can see.
With vivid colors and a cheerful, busy home, illustrator Nomar Perez invites young children to find a wide variety of shapes from circles and half-circles to crescents and slivers as well as squares, ovals, diamonds, and abstract patterns on his pages. Kids will have fun making connections from room to room and talking about the differences between the circles and examples of spheres they find. Perez’s festive taco night, lit up by the moon, fireflies, and string lights and containing a full range of shapes, offers inspiration for readers to enjoy finding shapes at home themselves!
Ages Baby – 3
Charlesbridge, 2026 | ISBN 978-1623546700
About the Author
Delia Ruiz is a Latina teacher-turned-author from San Antonio, Texas. Her books include the ¡1, 2, 3 Baila! bilingual board book series, Ways Papi Says I Love You, Moon Chef, and Roqui’s Pandero Beat, winner of the International Latino Book award. Delia hopes to inspire the next generation of writers who also come from immigrant households. She lives in Puerto Rico with her husband, their son, and their pug. Visit her at aventurasenesl.com. You can follow her journey @aventuras.en.esl
About the Illustrator
Nomar Perez was born on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, in the city of Ponce, and moved with his parents and five siblings to Ohio when he was ten. Nomar is heavily influenced by all types of media, most especially animation, puppetry, and computer art. He studied computer animation and painting at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and since then has worked as an illustrator on social expression products in the categories of humor, children’s, and young adult. Nomar has also illustrated numerous children’s board books and school publishing books. Coquí in the City is his author-illustrator debut. Follow him on Instagram.
Today’s holiday may be the easiest on the calendar to celebrate! It’s purpose is simple—to show your child or children how much you love them by giving them a hug! And why stop at just one? Such closeness builds strong family bonds, helps with a child’s brain development and social and emotional learning, and even has benefits for their physical health. To celebrate today (and every day!) give your kids hugs throughout the day and tell them how much and why you love them!
Hello, Baby
By Sandra Magsamen
Every day seems to go by so fast! What with work at the office or from home, chores to do, shopping, or just trying to stick to a schedule, it’s a lot. And if you have a baby or toddler, the hours can fly by without even a moment to slow down and spend some snuggle time together. Sandra Magsamen understands! Her delightful board books are written to fit into busy schedules while expressing that special love you and your baby share.
Hello, Baby, Magsamen’s newest book, is as warm as a hug and filled with endearments that ensure little ones know how much they mean to their family and how much they are loved. Joyful rhymes are matched with adorable illustrations of smiling characters and bright colors for a peppy read aloud that will swell a child’s as well as adult readers’ hearts. Short and sweet, Hello, Baby is perfect for cuddly respites during the day—at snack time, nap or bedtime, to dry tears, or whenever an opportunity arises to share a special moment together.
Hello, Baby will be a much-loved addition to home libraries for new parents, grandparents and other family members as well as a favorite for public libraries and daycare centers.
Ages Baby – 3
Cartwheel Books, 2026 | ISBN 978-1546183945
About the Author
Sandra Magsamen is the author and illustrator of over 75 books for young children including I Love You, Honey Bunny, You’re My Little Chickadee, and Our Little Love Bug! As an artist, an art therapist, and a mom, she uses her creativity to remind people to express themselves and connect with others. Her lifestyle brands, products, and books are sold worldwide. Visit her at sandramagsamen.com.
Global Hug Your Kids Day Activity
Free Hug Coupons
Everyone needs a hug now and then! With these printable Free Hug Coupons you can extend Global Hug Your Kids day to everyone in your family every day of the year! Why not fill a jar with these coupons and display it so that all your favorite people can get a sweet hug whenever they need it most.
You can purchase Hello, Baby from these booksellers
On July 4th America will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776. This foundational document, adopted by delegates to the Continental Congress, summarized the colonists’ motivations for severing their ties with Great Britain to become an independent country. Written largely by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence contains this famous proclamation: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” the Declaration of Independence has served as an inspiration to other nations around the world.
USA ABC
By Ingela P. Arrhenius
This year the United States of America is celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence as well as American traditions, pastimes, ideals, and everything that makes our country unique. With this special alphabet board book, you can share your love of American culture with your little one! Charmingly illustrated by Ingela P. Arrhenius, this book takes kids on a tour of America, one letter at a time.
First you’ll drop in on Grandma as she pulls a freshly baked Apple pie from the oven then it’s off to a Baseball game and further afield as young children visit with other kids as they enjoy American favorites among foods, music, and games. They’ll even meet George Washington and take a trip to the moon! Along the way they’ll also celebrate our country’s ideals, symbols, and stunning geography.
Ingela P. Arrhenius’s vibrant pages are cheery and inviting, marked with bold capital and lowercase letters and simple text that fosters early letter recognition and reading as children grow. This engaging board book also includes plenty of opportunities to count, name objects and colors, and even talk about the fifty states that make up our map. This sturdy book makes a perfect at-home read-aloud or companion to take along on any outing.
Ages Baby – 3
Nosy Crow, 2026 | ISBN 979-8887772806
About the Illustrator
Ingela P Arrhenius graduated from art school in the early 90s and has been working as an illustrator ever since. At first, she worked in advertising and magazines, but her focus over the past ten years has been on products and books. She has created patterns for fabrics, wallpaper and stationery, as well as packaging and home accessories. She has also collaborated with several toy producers around the world and her love of retro style, typography and colour is reflected in all her work. Ingela lives in Stockholm with her husband (an author) and two sons. Visit her at ingelaparrhenius.com.
Established in 1956 and sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, National Bike Month celebrates all the fun and benefits of cycling. Communities around the country celebrate with special events, tours, and safety lessons. The month also hosts Bike to School and Bike to Work days to encourage people to leave their cars at home, get fresh air and exercise, and have fun at the same time. Although the month of May is winding down, biking is always a fantastic way to enjoy family time! For more information visit the League of American Bicyclists.
Yellow, Red, Green—Go!
Written by Ellen Mayer | Illustrated by Ying-Hwa Hu
Mommy and her child are off on a bike ride to visit Grandma! On the way, Mommy points out the traffic lights they pass—and sometimes need to stop for. Mommy explains what each color means and the pattern the colors make. “‘Yellow means we have to slow down,’ says Mommy.” When the light changes, her little one is excited to explain “‘Red means stop.'” But in a minute, the eager tyke urges her on: “‘Green, Mommy! Go!'”
As they continue on, the pair continues to repeat the pattern, making a playful game of it. They pass a toy store and go inside, where they find more patterns in the toys and displays. It’s one more fun thing to tell Grandma! Back on their bike, they soon roll into Grandma’s neighborhood. Here the little one finds a pattern on the facade of her apartment block and points out, “‘Window, light, door. Window, light, door. Window, light . . . .'” Wait! there’s a surprise! “‘Window, light . . . Grandma!'”
The story includes a Note for Parents and Caregivers from Dr. Ashli-Ann Douglas, a Research Associate II at WestEd, whose research focuses on improving mathematics teaching and learning to support children’s development of strong math skills and positive math beliefs.
In her Note, Dr. Douglas discusses the benefits of talking to young children about recognizing patterns—one of the important building blocks to understanding many parts of math that children will encounter as they move through school. Dr. Douglas then invites adults to engage their children in pattern scavenger hunts within the story’s text as well as at home and away while encouraging them to find patterns in sounds, routines, and other areas of daily life.
Endearing parent-child interactions are at the heart of award-winning author Ellen Mayer’s Small Talk Books® that model rich conversations between a young child and an adult and enhance fun learning opportunities naturally present in many daily activities. In Yellow, Red, Green—GO! the child’s excitement to show an understanding of patterns is infectious, and youngest readers will eagerly want to join in around their own home and community. Readers will notice the strong back-and-forth patter between Mommy and child as they get on the bike and react to what they see on the way to Grandma’s—a stimulating dynamic that creates a fertile environment for language development and is a sweet way to build bonds.
Ying-Hwa Hu’s adorable illustrations glow with the child’s giggly enthusiasm for finding patterns and the close relationship between Mommy and her little one. Hu populates the community with other child-adult pairs and favorite objects and scenes that readers can talk about. She also includes plenty of opportunities to point out other patterns and to name colors, animals, toys, and other city features. As Mommy and the child interact, Hu demonstrates ways in which adults can engage their children through body language. Fans of other books in this series will be excited to see familiar objects and characters throughout the pages.
A delightful addition to the Small Talks Books® series, Yellow, Red, Green—GO! is a must for every library, daycare, or preschool board book collection and is highly recommended for any young child’s home bookshelf.
Yellow, Red, Green—GO! is also available in a Spanish/English edition
Star Bright Books, 2026 | ISBN 978-1595729798 | Bilingual Edition ISBN 978-1595729804
Ellen Mayer is an award-winning children’s author who has worked as an education researcher and early literacy home visitor. Her other math story books published by Star Bright Books include Banana for Two, Clean Up, Up, Up!, and Leaves to My Knees. She lives with her husband in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Visit her at ellenmayerbooks.com.
Ying-Hwa Hu is an award-winning illustrator. Her work has been exhibited at the Bologna Book Fair and The Society of Illustrators Original Art Show. Ying-Hwa has illustrated over 30 books, many of which she collaborated on with her husband Cornelius Van Wright, also an illustrator and author. They live in New York City. Visit her at yinghwahu.com.
National Bike Month Activity
Yellow, Red, Green–Go! Activities
You can find lots of Yellow, Red, Green—GO! activities, including a pattern coloring page; a song sheet with lyrics for “The Wheels on the Bike,” a take off on “The Wheels on the Bus;” an original song that explores patterns, sung by Anna Adler; a Teaching Guide by California Early Math Project; and more to download on the Star Bright Books website.
The Better Sleep Council—the sponsor of today’s holiday—was established in 1978 to educate people about the important relationship between sleep, good health, and quality of life. The goal of Better Sleep Month is to promote the benefits of good and healthy sleep, draw attention to the effects of sleep problems, and help people prevent and manage sleep disorders. Helping young children develop beneficial bedtime routines can improve their daytime functioning and positively impact their growth, health, and happiness. Get ready to celebrate the moon—and sweet dreams—all summer long and beyond with today’s luminous book!
June Moon
Written by Lynn Becker | Illustrated by Nate Carvalho
As a playful moon rises into the sunset-painted sky, a young child imagines being transported to the seaside where he builds a sandcastle under the “Beach Moon / Bucket Moon / Twirling on a dune moon.” He becomes a shovel-brandishing pirate plying the ocean as a whale breaches, backlit by the glowing moon.
But “bath and bedtime” await, and the sea spray becomes a bubble bath that leads to a frothy “peppermint typhoon moon.” At last the child is growing tired and with a twinkling tune and precious teddy bear, he drifts off to the “Kiss-me moon, / Cuddle moon, / Weave a dream cocoon moon.” Then with one more sleepy look, the child says goodnight to that “Magic as a June moon.”
In her dreamy board book, Lynn Becker combines the giddy fun of bedtime with the sweet comfort of daily routines and cuddling goodnights. Her jaunty verses tumble joyfully from scene to scene carried on her delightful use of rhyme and consonance. Little ones will enjoy calling out the word “moon” at the end of the lines and are sure to ask for this endearing book often.
Nate Carvalho’s adorable kawaii-style moon will enchant little ones as it rises and sets over the child’s bedtime preparations, sparking imaginative play on the way to dreamland. Carvalho incorporates clever imagery that blends reality and fantasy, as when the view out the child’s window of peaked tile roofs segues on the next page to sand dunes. Children will also like pointing out the pillow in the pirate’s boat and how the moon’s “peppermint typhoon” mirrors the child’s pajamas. As the moon settles over the rooftops once more, young sleepyheads will likewise be ready to settle into their comfy beds.
Lovely and soothing, June Moon will become a quick favorite for bedtime reading. The book makes a perfect gift for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers as well as for baby showers; grandparents or other caregivers; and any library, daycare, or preschool collection.
Ages Baby and up
Familius, 2024 | ISBN 978-1641709996
Lynn Beckergrew up in New York, spent many years in the Southern California desert, and now lives in Colorado. She’s a children’s book reviewer and the author of Monsters in the Briny, illustrated by Scott Brundage and Ghost Town in the Mountains, illustrated by Roland Garrigue. Visit her at lynnbeckerbooks.com.
Better Sleep Month Activity
Sleepytime Puzzle
All of these sleepy animals want to go to bed! In these puzzle pages, kids can settle each animal into the empty spots so they can get a good night’s sleep with their friends. Then color them!
celebratepicturebooks.com 