I hope the show is better than the books. These books are long and drawn out. They take too much explanation and quite frankly too much time. I don’t think its story always needs to be short but halfway through this book I’m still don’t get why people like this. 

 

Kids who really like non-fiction are going to love this book. This book is about the history of the lakes where they came from the and the life that they have sustained since then. 

 

This is a picture book about the invention of insulin. It’s very well done and it’s an interesting story. The illustrations work quite well, and they make this big topic approachable to children of many ages. Reading this book has the side effect of making me mad. The book does say that Frederick Banning, the person who discovered insulin, sold the rights to it for one dollar because it belonged to the world, not to one person. Yet our drug manufacturers sell it for way over what it costs to produce, and they did not have a hand in inventing it. This book is a reminder that medicine in the US is a horrible game of cat and mouse that far too many people die from. 

 

This Illinois reads for 2025 is a short graphic novel. It’s been categorized three through five but I think it would work for readers in first and second grade as well. Duck and his friends are just hanging out for the summer until they meet the cool cat. The cool cat is too cool, and it leaves an uneasy feeling in duck. Can duck conquer this feeling or will the friends realize that some people brag to feel better about themselves. Overall, this book is fun and interesting, and I think kids will like it. But I think kids will really like is the slide that the duck has from their bed to the pool. Can I have one of those? 

 

This book by an Illinois author is about a monster who seeks to find the help his town needs. They need help getting rid of the monster. I love how clueless this monster is,  it makes this story fun and heartwarming. Especially when he goes ask the witches and the ogre and the unicorns for help. But all of those individuals want something from the monster. Something the monster can’t give them. So Monster goes home feeling they failed. But it turns out they did the exact right thing. The words and the messages are fun, but what really sets this book apart are the illustrations. They’re soft but comfy like a warm blanket. They’re colorful and just feel like love on the page. Overall, this was a great book that I could see being handed down through generations. 

 

This is one of those picture books meant for adults. It’s a look at the 2020 election. It is tongue and cheek. It is satirical and decently interesting. However, as a picture book, it doesn’t really work. It’s too long and gets a bit confounding. Since this was written for adult, it gets a pass. It’s one of those books that is a flash in a pan. Will laugh at later and will only be found in Specialty collections in the decades to come. 

 

Tessa lives in Vancouver and just lost their job as a coffee barista. They’re an artist but has yet to find success. Losing their job gives them a great reason to visit home. And it turns out their best frenemy is living in an apartment in their parent’s basement. Tessa must dig through old memories to remember why her and Olive were friends and then enemies and the effect it had on them. This was a cute romance. It feels autobiographical, but I do not know that for sure. Originally the artwork was annoying, and I don’t think it was the artwork. I think it’s the color, because everything is green. In Vancouver everything is green, it’s temperate rainforest. But that gave a weird feeling to the book. By the end, it matched it really well, but in the beginning, it was a little off. Overall, this was a quick and interesting read. It was both fun and entertaining, and there will be others who enjoy it too. 

 

This is another dog book for the Day Star center from Bethany House press. This one gets into God‘s love in the end and with more prevalence than the previous book in the series. This book is almost a repeat of the first book . The dog is scared, must overcome their fears and then becomes an aid to the therapy that happens at Daystar. The story is nice and OK. There will be people that like it but overall, it’s not really a book for library storytime. 

 

This book is just fun. It’s individual cartoons that illustrate what being a real dog owner is like. In between the single pages, there is the story of a dog getting adopted that’s heartbreakingly beautiful. Altogether this was a lovely and fun read great for any coffee table and any dog lover. 

 

This little birdie loves their friends. They are always up for a good time. But sometimes when all the friends are bigger, it leaves Peg behind. Peg worries that they can’t keep up. That they just can’t do it. But when they take a moment to stop and think they realize yes, I can because I’ve already been doing it. The story is typical but adorable. The best part are the illustrations. They are so fun. It looks like a group of friends I want to jump in and play with.