Here are some of my favorite picture books that were published in March! Have you read any of these yet? Let me know in the comments!
Preschool Storytime Picture Books
A mischievous mouse in a quiet forest sets off a chain reaction making the forest not so quiet. This book gives me the same vibes as The Green Grass Grows all Around nursery rhyme because something new gets added every page and then you have to repeat them all. Kids will love trying to help recite all the crazy things that happen.
Bunny should be sleeping, but dad hasn’t checked on him yet. So, he packs a wagon with things they would need for a picnic and goes and checks on dad. This is a sweet story about how a dad and a child need each other and would be a lovely evening storytime read aloud.
Duck is swimming with his family and keeps getting behind because of everything he is observing. His mama always says, “Keep up, duck!” and he finds a creative way to catch up with them. The story is repetitive and the watercolor and colored pencil illustrations are my favorite style to read. This would make a fun storytime book for toddlers and preschoolers! The kids will love helping tell duck to keep up.
Taco Tuesday is Pete’s favorite day of the week, but when the taqueria is closed, they must come up with their own plan. Pete, the go-with-the-flow cat that he is, suggests that the family make their own tacos and they all love the idea. Each of them comes up with their own crazy taco creation and have a fun time doing it. Kids in storytime will delight and it is another hit by the Dean family!
I really enjoyed this one. It had a girl farmer, a giant garden with tons of vegetables, and it is a book that can be sung! Check it out, read or sing it at storytime, and make a basket of vegetables using paper plates as the basket and have them make their own veggies to put in it!
A boy is writing a rhyming adventure story, but his sister keeps changing it and ruining his rhymes – or so he thinks. The adventure takes twists and turns as they work together to create a story that does end up rhyming in the end. I giggled, I was impressed, and I think siblings will especially enjoy this book. A great read aloud in storytime and could lead to fun rhyming word activities.
This is a children’s book that wonderfully illustrates what hope is. A diverse cast of children all dressed differently are shown playing together and children are inspired to dream and to hope. This would be a beautiful storytime book and perfect for any family to have on their shelf.
Emi and Obaachan are making mochi together. This recipe has been passed down through the generation and the reader sees the process of them making it and hears the story of Obaachan. Mochi is how they share love and Emi is excited to make it and share with family and friends. This sweet story includes a recipe and instructions for mochi, too!
I always like to include a silly story in my storytimes if I can because I love hearing the children giggle. This is it. Eddy is a fish who wants a friend because he is lonely in his little fishbowl. One day, he meets a fish who the reader knows is actually the eye of a cat. The fish wants to play so badly that he launches himself out of the fishbowl to play. Will the cat eat him or save him? I am sure every kid will have their own guess!
Poppy the puffer fish does not want to go to the party because she is worried that she will wear the wrong hat or bring the wrong gift. Childhood anxiety is never explicitly mentioned in this book, but essentially, Poppy must overcome her anxieties about going to the party. She learns that no one is judging her on what she thought they might, and she has a wonderful time!
Other Great Picture Books
From the All Are Welcome series comes a new book about being proud of your child no matter what and wishing them the best in everything. This is a heartfelt story with a diverse cast of characters and is a must have in every collection. Maybe more suited to a read aloud between caregiver and child than a library storytime, but still amazing.
While this is not one of my favorite picture books personally, it is one of the most unique ones I have read in a while, so I wanted to point it out. This is an illustrated version of a magic trick and is sure to delight children who have any interest in magic or tricks. Choose a character from the audience, then do it again, and see if the book can guess it! It works every time!
I don’t typically include nonfiction picture books in my list, but this one was great, so I had to include it. While much to long for a preschool storytime, older children and those who are interested in dinosaurs will love it. The book is in a storytelling format and has great illustrations, while teaching children about scientists and the discovery of an iguanodon and how the layout of its bones changed over time.