Archives for 2025

Frankie’s Train Day! by Ms. Rachel, illus. by Monique Dong and Leo Trinidad

Golden Books, Ages 2-5, 9798217024889

All aboard for “Frankie’s Train Day!” Join Ms. Rachel as she helps her friend Frankie navigate his big feelings. This classic Little Golden Book is perfect for preschoolers and their caregivers, teaching empathy, forgiveness, and emotional regulation. Frankie loves trains, and with Ms. Rachel’s help, he builds the perfect train track for the best day of train play ever. But when things don’t go as planned, Ms. Rachel guides Frankie through his emotions with age-appropriate words, grounding techniques, and conflict resolution skills. It’s a gentle and fun way to teach kids how to manage their feelings!

Hide-and-Seek with Herbie by Ms. Rachel, illus. by Monique Dong

Random House Books For Young Readers, Ages 0-3, 9798217024902

Get ready for a playful adventure with “Hide and Seek with Herbie!” Babies and toddlers will love helping Ms. Rachel find her friend Herbie in this interactive board book. With sturdy flaps on every spread, it’s perfect for developing fine motor skills. As children lift the flaps to search for Herbie, they’ll laugh along with Ms. Rachel and enjoy the fun. This book is not only entertaining but also educational, introducing early concepts like colors, shapes, and objects. Plus, Herbie, a familiar character from Ms. Rachel’s YouTube videos, adds an extra layer of excitement for young readers.

Both of our May books align perfectly with Ms. Rachel’s educational brand, focusing on songs, music, and social-emotional learning themes. With her familiar gestures, songs, and advice, Ms. Rachel’s book program appeals to both kids and caregivers alike.

Do you want one scoop of ice cream? Or two? Or . . . maybe three or four? Let’s ask for more! In this whimsical trip to the ice cream parlor, the youngest reader will learn to count as another scoop of delicious ice cream gets piled onto a cone. How many scoops can you put on your cone? Well, ten of course—which is revealed in a fun gatefold featuring a giraffe’s ten-scoop cone! Hello!Lucky lends their vibrant illustrations and pun-derful voice to this delicious rhyming board book, the first in a brand-new concept series for preschoolers. Future concepts will include shapes, colors, and opposites.

About the Authors:

Hello!Lucky is all about using creativity to spread joy, fun, and kindness. Founded by sisters Eunice and Sabrina Moyle in 2003, Hello! Lucky is an award-winning letterpress greeting card and design studio working with dozens of partners to create products, including Abrams’ pun-derful children’s books: My Mom Is Magical!; My Dad Is Amazing!; My Grandma Is Great!; My Grandpa Is Grand!; My Brother Is the Best!; My Sister Is Super!; Super Pooper and Whizz Kid: Potty Power!; Kindness Rules!; Christmas Is Awesome!; Halloween Is a Treat!; Easter is Egg-cellent!; Sloth and Smell the Roses; Go Get ’Em, Tiger!; Thanks a Ton!; School Is Cool!; Bananas for You!; A Seed Will Grow; and the Astrid and Stella graphic novel series. They also offer gifts, ceramics, stationery, kids’ partyware, and more. Hello! Lucky is based in San Francisco.

 Alby C Williams’ WHERE THERE BE MONSTERS is great for older kids this Summer! Recommended for ages 9-12. Available at B&N and other bookstores!

Eleven-year-old Glory Brown is desperate for adventure far from her family’s quaint, quiet life at The Light Inn. Generations of Browns have been stewards of this humble hotel, which acts as a sanctuary in the stretch of monster-filled land called the Seam. But Glory wants nothing more than to learn how to use her Moxie, a special magic only kids have, and to train to become a Spherinaut like her mother, exploring and documenting the perilous depths of the Outersphere.

When a mysterious boy named Marcus appears one day on a top-secret mission for the Parliamentarium – the school for aspiring Spherinauts – Glory packs up her beloved books and sets off on a once-in-a-lifetime journey that will shuttle her across time and space…and reveal new dangers lurking in the worlds beyond the Seam.

For there’s mischief afoot that’s threatening the balance between the worlds, its magic, and its monsters. And it’s up to Glory to find a solution before it’s too late.

This next one is perfect for the upcoming Father’s Day!

Featuring the same rhythmic charm and delightful illustrations that have captivated CHICKA CHICKA readers for 35+ years and sold close to 30 million copies, these two new alphabet books celebrate the joy of parent-child connections and are the perfect read aloud between a parent and child.

CHICKA CHICKA I LOVE DAD feature engaging rhymes, vibrant artwork, and a gift-ready “To/From” section, making them the perfect present, not just for Father’s Day, but also for birthdays, Valentine’s Day, and baby showers. These books feature brand new text and artwork, and feature entirely different content in each book.

Author Bio

Bill Martin, Jr. (1916–2004) has been called “America’s favorite children’s author.” He wrote more than 300 books for children, including the classic texts Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, illustrated by Eric Carle, and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, illustrated by Lois Ehlert.

John Archambault is a poet, journalist, and storyteller who worked with Bill Martin, Jr. on several projects. He lives in Idyllwild-Pine Cove, California.



Julien Chung has been a professional designer and illustrator for over twenty-five years. He is the illustrator of picture books such as Chicka Chicka Ho Ho Ho and Chicka Chicka Tricka Treat, companions to the bestselling Chicka Chicka Boom Boom; Becoming Blue by Ellen Tarlow; Vrooom, Vrooom! by Mary Lyn Ray; and 365 by Miranda Paul. He has created licensed characters for brands worldwide and works for La Presse newspaper in Montreal, Quebec. He lives in Montreal with his wife and a lovebird named Cookie.

Self Disclosure: I received free copies of the above books to feature. Cover images were also provided.

A fun and adventurous Panda travels from China to Africa to rescue his best friend, Dragon, who has been kidnapped by the lions. On his journey, he discovers a completely unknown world and faces frightening hippos, suspicious hyenas, and wise gorillas. Relying on his wits and some newfound friends, he makes his way across Africa, before rescuing his friend Dragon and saving his new friends’ jungle home.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Josephine K. comments, “Panda Bear in Africa is outstanding! The storyline is captivating and thematically rich. Many characters share words of wisdom that make the film inspirational.” Eli C. adds, “I love Panda Bear in Africa. It is funny, well animated, has an amazing storyline, and great voice acting. It kept me entertained and laughing through the whole movie.”  Jude A. adds, “One thing that is very noticeable is the panda bear’s bravery; it broke my heart to see the panda risk everything to save his friend’s life. In addition to his warm-hearted personality, Panda Bear is emotional, thoughtful, responsible and goofy.” Avani M. wraps it up with, “The film’s message is that friendship always prevails. There are many friendships in this story — the biggest being the one between Pang and Jielong. Even though he knows it will be hard, Pang does everything in his ability to get his friend back.” See their full reviews below.

Panda Bear in Africa

By Josephine K., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

Panda Bear in Africa is outstanding! The storyline is captivating and thematically rich. Many characters share words of wisdom that make the film inspirational. I enjoyed the creative humor and witty comments throughout the film.

The story unfolds in a picturesque village in East China. Pang (Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing) and his dragon friend, Jielong (Georgina Verbaan) live a somewhat charmed life until Jielong is captured and taken to Africa. In an effort to save her, Pang goes on a treacherous journey across the sea through unknown territory with challenges around every turn. On this journey Pang meets new friends and uses his moral compass and good heart to guide his way.

This film is phenomenal! The storyline is well done and impressive. Pang’s adventure is riveting and the characters he meets along the way open up when he embraces them with kindness. I like the wise comments in the film such as “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Putting these wise words into the film adds a level of depth relatable to many. The humor is abundant throughout the film mainly from the lion prince Ade (Namisa Mdalose). The humor is child appropriate and enjoyable for all ages. My favorite part is the lion prince’s birthday party because many animals bring him some hilarious gifts. My favorite character is Niala (Candice Modiselle) because she is guarded and salty at the beginning but becomes friendlier toward the end of the film.

There are many messages to this film such as kindness can get you farther than hostility. Also, if you choose to search outside your comfort zone, you may surprise yourself. These messages are successful and evident as the story progresses. The messages are very positive and uplifting as well as inspirational on many levels.

I give Panda Bear in Africa 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12, plus adults. It releases digitally and on DVD May 13, 2025.

Panda Bear in Africa
By Eli C., KIDS FIRST Film Critics, age 9

I love Panda Bear in Africa. It is funny, well animated, has an amazing storyline, and great voice acting. It kept me entertained and laughing through the whole movie.

The storyline is about a young panda bear named Pang (Yootha Wong Loi Sing) and his young dragon friend, Jielong (Georgina Verbaan). After an unfortunate series of events, Pang must embark on a painstaking journey all the way from Asia to Africa. During his journey he makes a few new friends, such as JoJo the monkey (Maurits Delchot) and Niala the hyena (Candice Modiselle). He also makes an enemy, Malum the lion (Silas Lekgoathi).

Panda Bear in Africa is filled with ridiculous scenes and jokes that kept cracking me up. Even the characters themselves are hilarious. Props to the animators for using the CGI to the fullest. They use it to the absolute best of their capabilities to make everything so beautiful. The sand, water, trees, even the animals are wonderfully done. I have to commend Richard Claus and Karsten Kiilerich for both writing and directing this movie. The script is fantastic and it had me wondering what was going to happen next. It also kept my eyes open while I sat at the edge of my seat.I could feel all the emotions the main characters were expressing. I especially love the voice acting of Yootha Wong Loi Sing. He really captures a goofy, childlike personality for his character. The casting is really good all across the board. The music department really succeeds at making the music match the scenes. It really helped immerse me into the film. As much as I love this film, the one thing that is missing is character development – the characters are pretty much one dimensional. Other than that, this is a great film. My favorite part is when Jielong’s self-pep talk goes terribly wrong and she is then faced with a duo of dastardly animals which complicate her plans.

The film’s message is to be yourself no matter what. It also reminds us that we don’t need to be overly concerned about what other people think. What matters is your opinion.

I give Panda Bear in Africa 5 out of 5 stars and I recommend it for ages 5 to 12. This movie releases on DVD and digital platforms on May 13, 2025.

Panda Bear in Africa  

By Jude A., KIDS FIRST! Film critic, Age 10 

I like the film Panda Bear in Africa, because of its adventures and the Nigerian accents. l also like how the panda is so warm-hearted and genuine. I like how the dragon always supports the panda in everything he does – and it goes both ways. In everything they do, they are so intertwined; it’s almost like their brains are connected.

The film is about a warm-hearted panda bear (Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing) dreaming of going across the world with his dragon friend when suddenly the dragon gets kidnaped by Africans and is taken to Africa to become a pet. Her brave warm-hearted panda friend comes to her rescue with the help of a monkey named JoJo (Maurits Delchot).

One thing that is very noticeable is the panda bear’s bravery; it broke my heart to see the panda risk everything to save his friend’s life. In addition to his warm-hearted personality, Panda Bear is emotional, thoughtful, responsible and goofy. The other characters help us better understand the panda bear’s personality. I didn’t like how JoJo is always leaving the panda and running away. However, I do really like the ending when he comes to help the panda. I also like Ade (Namisa Mdalose), because he’s funny – after every sad scene he brings happiness. This movie taught me to think about how jungle animals live and take care of each other. I like how The Lion King and Kung Fu Panda are referenced. I love the adventures in this movie. They made me jump out of my seat every time something exciting happened. I also like how they combine Asia and Africa here. The graphics are crisp and realistic – making the audience feel as if you are a part of the movie. Another notable element is how the jungle is shown in both countries. I also like the lighting; it makes the jungle look so real. The darkness is real as well.

The film’s message is that bravery knows neither size nor boundaries. It’s a reminder to always be brave, courageous, and strong and never be shy.

I rate Panda Bear in Africa 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12, plus adults. It releases on streaming and DVD/Blu-ray on May 13, 2024.

Panda Bear in Africa
By Avani M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 12

Panda Bear in Africa is a cute, heartwarming animated film full of fun characters, vibrant colors, and great messages. I enjoyed the animation, the characters and all the lessons the movie teaches along the way.

Pang (Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing) is a young panda from an idyllic village in China. His best friend, Jielong the dragoness (Georgina Verbaan) is kidnapped, so he travels from Asia to Africa in order to rescue his friend. Once Pang arrives, he meets all kinds of African animals that either help or slow his journey down.

The animation is so bright and vibrantly colored! The greens of the jungle and red and yellows of Pang’s home town make me feel like I am right there with Pang. However, I was disappointed that Pang and the other animals are not so cute, the landscapes are not particularly detailed and the lion’s rock feels very flat. However I do like how lions and hyenas are part of the story. I love how every animal has its own personality and skills that, in the end, are used to help Pang find his friend. At first, they don’t work together so well, but eventually they learn to work as a team. The voice actors are expressive and fit each character with a unique and interesting personality for each one. Pang has a gentle tone that shows how caring he is. He helps everyone in need even if it means risking something and giving people multiple chances. Georgina Verbaan, who voices Jielong has a very upbeat tone and sounds very positive all the time, even when she is captured. Maurits Delchot plays the very talkative monkey, Jojo. He is energetic and provides comedic relief for the story.  Jojo accompanies Pang on his journey and guides Pang through Africa.

The film’s message is that friendship always prevails. There are many friendships in this story — the biggest being the one between Pang and Jielong. Even though he knows it will be hard, Pang does everything in his ability to get his friend back. Another message is that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. This is taught to Pang by the captain of the boat that takes Pang to Africa. And last, Pang realizes that everyone deserves a second chance. He also learns that being brave isn’t just about not being scared, but also willing to do what is right.

I give Panda Bear in Africa 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12, plus adults. It releases on streaming and DVD/Blu-ray on May 13, 2024. Trailer: