Manny y el tiempo hacen juego~Manny Matches the Weather from Steamworks

Manny y el tiempo hacen juego~Manny Matches the Weather

by Jenny Lacika

Illustrated by Antonieta Muñoz Estrada

Published May 5, 2026

Charlesbridge

Board Book

20 Pages

Review copy provided by publisher

Summary From Publisher

SIMULTANEOUS IN ENGLISH AND BILINGUAL SPANISH-ENGLISH! Join Manny in an exploration of temperature and weather, because STEAM is everywhere and for everyone!

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 has style! But sometimes, Manny’s style does not match the weather. Can Manny learn to observe both the temperature and the weather to build outfits with fashion and function in mind?

Perfect for parents and caregivers of independent toddlers exploring the world of dressing themselves.

Extend the learning beyond the story with expertly crafted back matter, including additional information about temperature and weather and fun STEAM activities.

STEAMWORKS features children of all backgrounds and abilities using scientific and mathematical thinking to solve everyday problems and answer questions that matter to them. Playful stories and extension activities ignite excitement for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) and empower children as thinkers, problem solvers, and innovators.

My Thoughts

This bilingual book is perfect for very young readers who speak English, Spanish, or both languages. Manny faces a common and very relatable problem that kids face: how to wear clothes you like, but also dress for the weather. He learns to use the weather forecast and the weather he sees outside to decide how to mix and match his outfits. 

The sturdy pages are filled with colorful illustrations of Manny and his mother dressed in various outfits in different types of weather. The book invites children and caregivers to discuss the weather and various vocabulary to describe weather conditions. 

I would recommend this book to parents and teachers of young children. 

Summer and Autumn Pop-Up Books from Phaidon

 

Summer Pops Up!

by Aurone Petit

Expected Publication May 20, 2026

Phaidon Press

Fiction

Pop Up Book 

12 Pages

Review copy provided by publisher

Summary From Publisher 

Winner, 2025 Best Baby Book Prize from the French Ministry of Culture

From family trips to ocean dips, experience summer’s everyday magic in this sturdy, neon pop-up book. With playful illustrations, engaging text, and pop-up surprises that toddlers (and parents) will love!

Designed especially for little hands, this bright, bold pop-up book brims with the joy of summer in every turn of the page. Perfectly portable and shaped for toddlers’ hands, this sturdy board book features six playful pop-up scenes that leap from the pages with high-contrast neon images – the yellow of sunshine and the pink of summer sunsets.

Celebrate the magic of summertime, from a busy bee zipping between blossoms to a bumpy ride in the family van, from spreading sunscreen on our faces to enjoying bare feet on a beach, and from diving into sunset seas to counting the stars at night. This book brings all our most-loved summer moments to life in a way that’s both familiar and fresh, clever and surprising. Every page bursting with the warm wonders of the season.

With Aurore Petit’s vibrant, playful illustrations, simple, engaging text, and pop-up surprises that toddlers (and parents!) will love, this book is a sensory celebration of summer’s everyday magic.

This is the first title in Aurore Petit’s seasonal pop-up series, publishing alongside Autumn Pops Up! and to be followed soon by winter and spring-themed books.

Autumn Pops Up!

by Aurone Petit

Expected Publication July 29, 2026

Phaidon Press

Fiction

Pop Up Book 

12 Pages

Review copy provided by publisher

Summary from Publisher

From falling leaves to Halloween, experience the delights of autumn in this neon, sturdy pop-up book. With playful illustrations, engaging text, and pop-up surprises that toddlers (and parents) will love!

Designed especially for little hands, this bright, bold pop-up board book brims with the magic of autumn in every turn of the page. Perfectly portable and shaped for toddlers’ hands, this sturdy book features six playful pop-up scenes that leap from the pages with high-contrast neon images that brighten even the most dreary of days – featuring the orange of pumpkins and fallen leaves.

From autumnal walks through woods filled with mushrooms, to tucking into a steaming bowl of pumpkin soup, sharing an umbrella on a rainy day to Halloween costumes, admiring the falling leaves to watching birds fly away for warmer weather, each spread captures the joy and beauty of the season in a way that’s both familiar and fresh, clever and surprising.

With Aurore Petit’s vibrant, playful illustrations, simple, engaging text, and pop-up surprises that toddlers (and parents!) will love, this book is a sensory celebration of autumn’s everyday magic.

This is the second title in Aurore Petit’s seasonal pop-up series, publishing alongside Summer Pops Up! and to be followed soon by winter and spring-themed books.

My Thoughts

What is more fun than a pop-up book? I remember looking at pop-up books as a child and being mesmerized. I could read them over and over again. These adorable pop-ups are made for the youngest readers. I have not read them with toddlers or babies, but my kindergarteners really love them, and they have stood up to repeated use. 

Each book uses the colors of the season (bright colors for summer and muted earthtones for autumn). 

Images from Amazon.com

Young readers will love these fun seasonal pop-up books!

Who's Hiding? Under the Sea by Janet Lawler and James Weston Lewis

Who's Hiding? Under the Sea

by Janet Lawler

Illustrated by James Weston Lewis

Published by Pahidon

Expected Release April 1, 2026

Board Book

Nonfiction

12 Pages

In this nonfiction board book, young readers will learn about different animals through riddle poems. 

They will love guessing what the animals are and lifting the flaps to find out. 

The flaps are created in the shape of various ocean plants and creatures, such as anemone, kelp, and shells. The illustrations and backgrounds are colorful and show other animals and different parts of the ocean. 

Young readers will LOVE this book!

Lolly on the Ice by Sarah S. Brannen

Lolly on the Ice

by Sarah S. Brannen

Published 2025

Random House

40 pages

Hardcover

Fiction Picture Book

Review copy provided by publisher

Summary

Lolly loves to ice skate. She feels confident and happy on the ice when it is only her father watching. When anyone else is around, Lolly freezes, and is too scared to skate. When she gets an opportunity to skate in an ice show, she is unable to move when she is in front of the judges. But she is given a role as a snowman in the show because the snowmen didn't need to move. 

When a key performer is injured during the show, Lolly needs to decide if she will face her fear of performing in front of people and step up and skate in the girl's place. 

My Thoughts

This book could be helpful for children who experience performance anxiety or stage fright. It is not a common subject of many books in kid lit. 

In the beginning, it is clear how much Lolly loves to skate. When she becomes a snowman, her energy is different, and you can tell from her facial expression and body language that she really wants to skate like the main performers. Lolly ultimately overcomes her fear and performs in the show. I do wish there had been more development and conflict when she needs to decide if she will skate in the show, and more of a resolution and clear lesson at the end. 

The illustrations, created in watercolor and ink, have a softness about them. The characters have various skin tones. The book includes a combination of one and two-page spreads. 

Image from Amazon.com

Image from Amazon.com

Formula Fast: Your Ultimate Guide to Formula One Racing!

by Matt Ralphs

Illustrated by Dragan Kordic

Expected Publication Feb. 4, 2026

Phaidon Press

Hardcover

Nonfiction Picture Book

64 Pages

Review copy provided by publisher

Summary From Publisher

The ultimate illustrated guide to Formula One racing, the world’s fastest sport: from superhuman drivers to legendary tracks to cutting-edge cars.

Packed with facts, stats, and impactful illustrations, this ultimate guide to Formula One answers all the questions car-obsessed kids want to know: How do you become a superstar driver? Which is the most challenging race track? What is the record for the quickest pit stop? (Hint: it’s less than two seconds.)

Young speed-seekers will discover fascinating details about incredible cars, iconic tracks, superhuman drivers, and behind-the-scenes action. Learn about the latest developments in car technology, what drivers wear and how they train, and, of course, the biggest names in racing history – from Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton to legendary greats like Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, plus unsung heroes such as Desiré Wilson.

Featuring a stunning silver-foiled cover, a historical timeline of Formula One cars, and a helpful glossary of key terms, Formula Fast is the ultimate gift for any aspiring gearhead.

My Thoughts

Am I interested in car racing? No, I am not. But that did not stop me from enjoying Formula Fast. The information in this book is interesting, but the format and text features make it truly engaging. Readers will learn everything they ever wanted to know, and lots more! 

Illustrator, Dragan Kordic has filled it with colorful text features including diagrams, lists, maps, biographical information...you name it. 

Image from Amazon.com

Image from Amazon.com

I have just the reader in my library who would LOVE to be the first to read Formula Fast. 

Our Prehistoric Planet by Sue Lowell Gallion and Lisk Feng

Our Prehistoric Planet 

by Sue Lowell Gallion 

Illustrated by Lisk Feng

Expected Publication March, 2026

Phaidon Press

Nonfiction

Review copy provided by publisher

Summary from Publisher

A rhyming, read-aloud introduction to dinosaurs and early life on our planet that, when opened up and folded back, creates a free-standing globe

This exciting addition to the bestselling Our World collection invites children to explore life on our prehistoric planet through rhyming verse and stunning illustrations.

Beginning with the origins of early life in the oceans billions of years ago, Our Prehistoric Planet travels chronologically through the development of giant crocodile-like lizards, the reign of the dinosaurs, mass extinction events, and the rise of early mammals. Along the way, readers will meet incredible creatures from across the globe, from familiar favorites like Stegosaurus to the bizarre Brontothere, an enormous, rhino-like mammal with giant horns over 3 feet long.

Additional text throughout offers more detailed information and friendly interactive questions, encouraging readers to learn about the amazing creatures that, millions of years ago, stomped or swam where we live today.

Inspiring, informative, and one-of-a-kind, this artful homage to our prehistoric world is both an invitation to travel back in time and an object to be treasured for years to come.

My Thoughts
Kids LOVE books about dinosaurs. This book teaches about different dinosaurs, but goes beyond to cover early prehistory and how the world changed and creatures developed as time passed.
The information is presented in both simple text on the right side of each spread and goes into further detail on the right side, making this book relevant for younger and older students.
Then there is the way it opens up into a globe that stands up independently.

Image from Amazon.com

I would definitely recommend adding this book to your collection. 

A Few Tips to Make Your Book Fair Run More Smoothly

Ask any adult if they remember the Scholastic Book Fair as a child, and you will likely hear about how much they loved the excitement, the books, diaries, and special pens. For many, visiting the book fair is a treasured core memory. I love being able to provide the book fair experience for my K-5 students. No other event that we have at school generates the energetic buzz throughout the school quite like the book fair. 

Having said all of that, hosting a book fair is a lot of work. I have not hosted very many, but as I head into my 7th book fair, I thought I would share some tips that have helped me get through the week with my sanity somewhat intact. 

Scheduling

My fair takes place during the week of conferences. Students in grades 3-5 have an opportunity to shop during library classes. All K-2 students shop with their caregivers when they come to conferences. I start by creating a schedule that will ensure that all grades 3-5 will have a block of time to visit the fair. I also offer times for classrooms to come and browse with their teacher. I lay out the schedule and share it with teachers approximately 2 weeks before the fair. 

One Pager

I offer several evening hours so families have plenty of opportunities to visit. Then I create and share a one-page document with hours, links to our fair's site, etc. 

Organization & Signage

I create these small cards to leave near the checkout in case inventory runs out or an item is not included in the fair. The purchases online still count toward fair profits. 

Wishlists, pens, and clipboards are near the entrance if students want to make wishlists to share with families. 

Posters are numbered within the cases.

One copy of each poster is hung with twine and clothespins. 

They are numbered with a sticky note to correspond with the number in the poster case. The students ask for posters by number. This year, I included the price of each one since prices vary. This eliminates the "How much is it?" question. 

To help students figure out taxes, I copied enough of these sheets for each case and each register. I save them to use for each fair. A case number helps students when they create wishlists. 

Smaller items are kept near the register. 

I keep a change jar to use if a student is a little short or to cover taxes.

Other things near the register include rubber bands to roll up posters, hand sanitizer, and various-sized baggies to hold small items and change. I am also working through a stack of donated plastic shopping bags. 

Pointers and any squishy items are kept behind the register. 

After trying teacher wishlists, I switched to a wish box a couple of years ago. Staff members locate the physical book they would like and place it with their name in the box. When one is purchased, the students write their name on a sticky note, and I put the books in the teachers' mailboxes. 

I place sticky notes with prices of small items. 

During book fair week, I wear an apron because I am always misplacing things as I go from the fair to teaching classes and back again. I keep pens, a marker, a pack of sticky notes, and a pair of scissors in it, along with my keys, chapstick, and sometimes a snack for busy days. 

It is a fun and exhausting week, but it is so worth it when you see the excitement of the students. 

These friends snuck a peek during the book fair setup.

I would love to hear about your book fair hacks to make the week more manageable.