30 New Picture Books, November 2022

Welcome back, fellow book-loving readers! Today, here are the new picture books from November and other months in 2022 that I might have missed that you won’t want to miss. In fact, I have 30 books to share today.Which one will you read first?

New Picture Books, November 2022

Paradise Sands: A Story of Enchantment by Levi Pinfold
FANTASY / MAGICAL REALISM
Beautifully bizarre and engrossing, I loved everything about this story, especially the realistic illustrations that completely blew my mind. Beginning with a seemingly realistic road trip, the story quickly turns into a fantastical fairy tale of sorts. The girl and her brothers stop at a hotel where the brothers drink water and swim in the pool. Their swimming turns them into dolphins. But what’s worse is that the lion says that because the brothers took his water, they will remain forever. The girl bargains for her brothers freedom and must resist eating or drinking for three days. Will she be able to do it?

A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree by Daniel Bernstrom, illustrated by Brandon James Scott
FUNNY
It’s a familiar story about a bear trying to steal the bee‘s honey, but I LOVE this book so much because the author uses simple language in a playful, funny way.

My Fade is Fresh by Shauntay Grant, illustrated by Kitt Thomas
HAIR CUT
A little girl walks into a barbershop with A LOT of ideas — she listens to everyone’s many cool ideas but the barber isn’t cutting enough. After much discussion and trial and error, eventually, the girl gets the haircut that she wanted all along. This book reminds me of how adults (parents, myself included) always have so many “helpful” suggestions that aren’t necessarily helpful to the child and could bully them into choosing what we want, not what they want.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, illustrated by P.J. Lynch
POETRY
Gorgeous wintery atmospheric illustrations illuminate the beauty of Robert Frost’s poem with exquisite detail. As a girl and her horse journey through the snowy woods, she stops to take in the beauty of the frozen lake and dark woods. Her horse shakes his bells as if to question why she’s not stopping at a farmhouse. Eventually, she gets back on to continue her journey of miles to go before she can sleep. And we wonder where she’s going…

If You Laugh, I’m Starting This Book Over by Chris Harris, illustrated by Serge Bloch
FUNNY
Got little sillypants kids who would love to hear a silly story? Well, this narrator who says that you can’t laugh — at anything in this hilarious book! Even the goofy names and his terrible fear of feathers or anything…

A Zoo of Mistakes by Alex Patrick
SEARCH AND FIND
Look carefully at the pictures of happenings at the zoo when Alice and Billy visit. Can you spot the strange things? Entertaining and fun!

Twelve Dinging Doorbells by Tameka Fryer Brown, illustrated by Ebony Glenn
HOLIDAY (THANKSGIVING OR CHRISTMAS)
Every time the doorbell rings (12 times), someone new comes for a holiday visit starting with Granny and the sweet potato pie she brings to the main character. Then more relatives with kids and tons of food (macaroni and cheeeeese, chitlins, side dishes) fill the house and the many tables. It’s a festive celebration! I adore the cut-out paper collage illustrations so much!

I Forgive Alex A Simple Story About Understanding by Kerascoet
EMOTIONS
Wordless with beautiful illustrations, this story tells about the time at recess when Alex’s ball hit his classmate’s pictures, and they fell in a puddle. Everyone seems mad at Alex, but eventually, the boy to whom the drawings belonged, shakes Alex’s hand and forgives him.

Three Pockets Full by Cindy L. Rodriquez, illustrated by Begonia Fernandez Corabalan
LATINX HERITAGE, FAMILY
Beto refuses to wear a traditional guayabera to the wedding. He writes his mami letters (she writes him back) with all his excuses and reasons expressing his very big feelings about not wearing the guayabera. Up until the end, we think this story is about not wanting to wear the shirt, but it’s really about the mom getting remarried and Beto missing his dad. It’s funny and poignant with a sweet, gentle ending.

When Santa Came to Stay by Billy Sharff, illustrated by Edna Kaban
CHRISTMAS
Santa loves the family’s Christmas cookies so much that he decides to stay. He’s joined by his wife and then the Eater Bunny and her chicks and more and more people until the house is bursting with nonstop Christmas treats and toys and reindeer rides. How will the family get rid of them? Locking them out doesn’t work. Will they think of a sweet solution? Hilarious and fun!

13 Stories About Ayana by Amy Schwartz
EASY READER / DAILY LIFE
What does Ayana do every day? 13 stories in simple text share about her life… She goes to the community garden with her dad, gives her new hamster a bath, goes on vacation, rides the bus with her mom, and picks zucchini. It’s sweet and charming in its simplicity and genuineness. Because of the text’s level, this picture book could double as an early reader.

When Your Daddy’s a Soldier by Gretchen Brandenburg McLellan, illustrated by EG Keller
MILITARY FAMILY
We’ve needed this book in the world for a while now, so I’m happy there is a story that represents military families. What can you expect when “your daddy’s a soldier” — that you like to wear camo like him, but sometimes he has to work far away and go to war, and you might cry. While he’s away, you send him pictures and letters, and he writes back when he can.  And the day better than your birthday is when your daddy comes home!

I am Batman by Brad Meltzer, illustrated by Christoper Eliopoulos
SUPERHERO
Eye-popping comic illustrations and sequential narration tell the origin story of Batman-– a boy who suffered the tragic murder of his parents and dedicated his life to helping others.

I am Superman by Brad Meltzer, illustrated by Christoper Eliopoulos
SUPERHERO
In first-person narration, Superman shares his birth on a distant planet to his adoption by kind and loving parents who taught him right from wrong and to treat others with respect. He becomes a journalist and a secret superhero who helps fight against bullies and helps change the world. Exceptional storytelling — this is a beautiful book!

The Mermaid Moon by Briony May Smith
FRIENDSHIP / FANTASY CREATURES
A girl and a mermaid are the best of friends. When the Mermaid Moon shines, the mermaid, Merrin, gets legs — but only until the moon sets or the magic will fade. So they have a big adventure on land. Just as they’re about to return Merrin to her cove, she gets stuck in a tree. Will she get home in time? Who could help?

The Notebook Keeper by Stephen Briseño, illustrated by Magdalena Mora
IMMIGRATION
When Noemi and her mama arrive at the Mexican/US border, they’re told they can’t enter the U.S. and to go to the notebook keeper named Belinda, who writes their names down in a notebook and gives them a number. While they wait for their number to be called, Noemi notices how kind and encouraging Belinda is to everyone. She decides to be more like Belinda. When Belinda’s number is called, she chooses Noemi and her mama to be the notebook keepers until they’re called. Based on a true story, this is an important story of immigration with the message of choosing kindness.

Rock That Vote by Meg Fleming, illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins
ELECTIONS
I love rhyming books if the rhyme works to tell a story — and this one is fantastic! The class gets to vote on which pet to get. And duck wins. Now they have to vote on a name…

Little Red Riding Hood and the Dragon by Ying Chang Compestine, illustrated by Joy Ang
FAIRY TALE
Little Red and her grandmother get swallowed by a dragon! But Little Red thinks of antics to do inside the dragon’s stomach like kung-fu and the yo-yo to get the dragon to gag them up. A fun retelling set near China’s Great Wall.

Knitting for Dogs by Laurel Molk
KNITTING / GROWTH MINDSET
Izzy loves to build things — and she’s good at it. So she assumes, she’ll be just as good at knitting. Except she’s not good at sizing sweaters. She perseveres with attempt after attempt. Finally, she reframes and shifts — because her sweaters work out perfectly for her dog, Max!

How to Send a Hug by Halye Rocdo, illustrated by John Rocco
LETTER WRITING
Artie loves giving hugs, but her grandma is far away, so she decides to send a hug in the form of a letter. This story is super sweet about caring for someone else and finding ways to express it. Plus, the illustrations are fabulous.

What’s Your Name? by Bethanie Deeney Murguia
NAMES
Hooray for this rhyming book with good meter that makes sense! In this playful concept book, the author riffs on names; their purposes, the way they’re used, the meanings, and even imagines if were all named YOU. Read this book aloud and discuss!

A Bear Far From Home by Susan Fletcher, illustrated by Rebecca Green
HISTORICAL
Beautiful sensory images depict this tragic story of a polar bear. A little polar bear grows up in a white-bright and dazzling world of snow, fish, feathers, salt, and seals, but one day, trappers took him away from home, and the King of Norway gave the bear to the King of England. Fletcher asks us to imagine how it would feel to be in a cage surrounded by the din of other animals in cages. Eventually, the King lets the bear out of her cage to walk among sawdust, spices, woodsmoke, and wool to take a swim in the river.

A Dog’s Guide to Being Human by Shanna Silva, illustrated by Agnes Ernoult
FUNNY
Smudge the dog offers sage wisdom for his family’s new baby — like be curious, enjoy nature, and be nice. His examples are hilarious, like don’t drink out of the toilet, sneak me treats when no one is looking, and if they tell you to get off the couch, wait until they’re gone to get back on.

Firefighter Flo! by Andrea Zimmerman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino
FIREFIGHTER JOB
Firefighter Flo is a brave firefighter who leads the other firefighters. They rush off on the big red truck to a fire that they put out and rescue the family’s pet. Eye-catching bold artwork and fun-to-read sound words will make this a great book to read aloud to your 2 and 3 year olds.

Murry Christmas by E.G. Keller
CHRISTMAS
Murry, a dog who takes his job seriously, feels troubled by the dangers (Christmas decorations) lurking in his house. So he does his job–snatching the snake (lights) and pulling at the laundry on the mantle, and eventually chasing Santa around the house. Eventually, Santa befriends Murry, and together they clean up Murry’s mess. Merry Christmas!

The Circles in the Sky by Karl James Mountford
DEATH
A gentle story about a fox who is sad because of a bird’s death. Fox’s new friend moth explains about death and stays with Fox in his grieving time. Gorgeous, geometric illustrations.

I Can Explain by Shinsuke Yoshitake
FUNNY
When caught picking his nose again, the little boy decides he needs a good explanation. and that explanation is that he has a button at the back of his nose that releases cheerful beams. And when he’s caught biting his nails, he says that it’s so it will make the crows on the trash bags go away. Clever and creative, this boy has a wild imagination to explain his bad manners that will crack you up. And it’s catching! Because why is his mom touching her hair?

Zahra’s Blessing: A Ramadan Story by Shirin Shamsi, illustrated by Maal Mirza
RAMADAN / KINDNESS
Ramadan means giving to others, so even though Zahra feels sad about her lost teddy bear, she helps her mom volunteer at a shelter where she meets a refugee family with no home or anything, not even a teddy bear. When the family moves in with them, Zahra gets the sister she always wished for and gives her the teddy bear.

KEEP READING

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