Top Ten Tuesday: Most Recent Additions to My Bookshelf

This list is full of picture books that I was able to pick up while I was at the ALA conference this summer. Uncorrected proofs of picture books are some of the most fun because they still feel “not” real because there really isn’t any binding and the book is just pages folded over themselves. But, at the same time, they typically have most of their artwork complete and it still feels very much like a real book. I love getting a glimpse at new titles coming out and seeing what the publishers are putting their energy behind. Some of the books on this list are absolutely beautifully done and will be a wonderful addition to your own personal library. They are all books that have been published in 2025 and if you get a chance, stop by your library and check them out!

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Most Recent Additions to My Bookshelf

Anything by Rebecca Stead, illustrated by Gracey Zhang

Anything paints a tender picture of a father and daughter moving into a new home. Dad brings a birthday cake for the new apartment to celebrate their new beginning and tells his daughter she can wish for anything (or, more precisely, “three Anythings”). Over the course of the day, she wishes for some of her favorite things, including a rainbow and “the biggest slice of pizza in the whole world.”

But she keeps some of her wishes inside. Because what she really wants is to go back home to their old apartment, with its big blue bathtub and space in the closet for hide-and-seek. When she finally admits this last wish, her dad takes her on a journey, and by the book’s final pages, she is home . . . in every way that matters.

Braided Roots by Pasha Westbrook, illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight

As a young girl’s father lovingly yet painstakingly braids her hair, he weaves a story about the strength and resilience of their ancestors, Freedmen who walked the Trail of Tears from Mississippi to Oklahoma.

In this enchanting picture book, past and present come together in a tale about endurance, history, and love. With beautiful, sweeping illustrations by Madelyn Goodnight and debut author Pasha Westbrook’s lyrical writing, Braided Roots tenderly explores the unwavering love between a father and daughter.

The Day the Books Disappeared by by Joanna Ho and Caroline Kusin Pritchard, illustrated by Dan Santat

Arnold didn’t mean for the books to disappear—not exactly. It all started because he liked his book about airplanes best. Why would anyone want to read about tomatoes or ostriches or submarines (ew, the worst!) when they could read about planes, instead?

When Arnold realizes—POOF!—he can make the other books vanish, he goes a little too far. Before he knows it, all the books are gone…including his. Can Arnold figure out how to bring them back before it’s too late?

The Gift of Words by Peter H. Reynolds

Jerome is looking forward to collecting words this holiday season! Words of hope, love, and joy to share with his loved ones. But as he begins his search, he discovers that inspirational words are hard to come by. In the end, Jerome finds a way to connect with his community and join together in sharing the greatest gift of all: the gift of words.

Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme by Betsy Bird, illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi

The sensible Secretary Bird wants nothing more than to get on with their job of properly narrating a classic nursery rhyme book. But something is afoot in the orderly land of nursery rhymes . . . a zippy little Weasel has entered the scene! As the Secretary Bird tries to get through the rhymes—from Little Miss Muffet to Jack and Jill—the Weasel bursts in, throwing everything into a comical tailspin. Can the Secretary Bird put an end to the chaos?

Scary Shark: A Jaw-some Halloween by Mike Lowery

Edgar the Shark and his best friend Lotta team up once more in this hilarious Halloween tale! It’s Halloween night, and Edgar the Shark is frightened of all the scary creatures floating just outside his window. Luckily, his best friend Lotta is there to show him Halloween is just a day to pretend to be scary. Together they carve jack- o-lanternfish, hang magni-fish-ent decorations, and choose the pretend-scariest costumes they can think of! But will that be enough to help Edgar prove he’s not a scaredy-catfish?

With laugh-out-loud humor and trick-or-treat themed fun, this is a can’t-miss story perfect for readers looking for treats, not tricks, this Halloween! So get ready for a much-needed underwater adventure from New York Times bestselling and beloved creator, Mike Lowery!

Through the Telescope: Mae Jemison Dreams of Space by Charles R. Smith Jr., illustrated by Evening Monteiro

How far to the stars?

This is what a little girl named Mae Jemison wonders as she peers through her telescope and dreams of space. Someday she will make it there, but for now she wonders, learns, and is inspired by the vastness of the universe.

Astronaut, physician, and engineer Mae Jemison’s passion would eventually lead to her becoming the first Black woman in space!

Together, United by Tami Charles, illustrated by Bryan Collier

A lyrical and astounding proclamation of unity and love, this stunning picture book serves as a reminder and a clear declaration that together, we are all part of something much greater. Courageous and bold, this final follow-up to the New York Times bestselling All Because You Matter and acclaimed We Are Here is a message of optimism: that alone we are strong, but together we are unstoppable!

Tami Charles’ powerful and rhythmic text reminds young readers of their brilliance as individuals and the immense power they hold when their voices come together as one. Breathtaking illustrations by renowned artist Bryan Collier, evoke the beauty and wonder of how we are all connected together in the world and our ability to change it for the better. Together, United is a community touchstone and a reminder that the best way to a better future is to create it together… united.

When the World is Puddle-Wonderful by E. E. Cummings, illustrated by Blanca Gómez

Welcome to a marvelous almanac of E. E. Cummings’s poetry, from the showers, puddles, and birdsong of spring to the beaches and sun of summer, Halloween, November sunsets, snowfalls, and little silent Christmas trees. Now published as the first-ever picture book collection of Cummings’s poems and imagined for contemporary readers with beloved artist Blanca Gómez’s sprightly and charming illustrations, when the world is puddle-wonderful bursts with joy and wonder at the world around us.

Wild Wonderings: Scientists and Their Questions by Jessica Fries-Gaither, illustrated by Linda Olliver

Let your curiosity run wild! This lively book will inspire you to ask questions like scientists do. Why? Because questions can lead you to amazing discoveries. Like what? Like when theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking puzzled over black holes and the origin of the universe. And when ornithologist Margaret Nice pioneered techniques―in her own backyard!―for observing and tracking birds. Wild Wonderings’ lively stories, colorful pictures, and fun rhymes will show you lots of new things about what it’s like to be a scientist. Did you know that they find out a lot by accident? That they have to be patient and persistent? And―most of all―that all questions can be good questions? Wild Wonderings will help you see that, as author Jessica Fries-Gaither writes: Questions aren’t just for scientists, you see. You can ask, too! Now what will yours be?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.