New Picture Books Coming Fall 2025
by Miranda Rosbach
The weather is turning cooler, the firework haze has faded from the air, and the remnants of sunburns are fading. Soon, the leaves will turn, and autumn will edge in. Routines will resume, and I’ll mourn the ending of another summer. Luckily, autumn holds a separate richness; a time for togetherness, new beginnings, and stacks of books. As summer fades into fall, reach for these exciting new picture books coming out this season.
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Archibald and the Furry Dinosaurs
Preorder from:Archibald is taunted by the other dinosaurs because they are covered with fur while he is bald. Desperate to fit in, Archibald goes on a quest to locate his missing hair. On his journey he finds predators, pitfalls, brambles, and canyons. When Archibald finally finds his missing hair, it insists on living an independent life. With a newfound perspective, Archibald embraces his baldness and lives happily with the other dinosaurs.
(On sale: 9/2/2025)
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Tuck Me In!
Preorder from:One evening, the Moon offers to tuck in a chilly beach. But by doing so, she pulls her watery blanket off the beach on the other side of the sea. Both beaches complain, so Moon devises a way that one beach can build a sandcastle, while the other gets tucked in tight with the high tide as a blanket. Soon, all the beaches around the world beckon for Moon’s magical nighttime tuck-in routine. This lunar bedtime book boasts just the right amount of facts for a young audience.
(On sale: 9/2/2025)
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There’s No Place Like Gnome’s
Preorder from:Gnome runs a hotel in the woods for small forest creatures. It is cozy and safe from danger. However, when deforestation destroys the homes of all the animals, Gnome makes the tough decision to allow apex predators to stay alongside small critters (but absolutely no messy birds). When a summer storm destroys Gnome’s lodging, the animals’ last refuge is gone. With the help of the fairies and his community, Gnome rebuilds his hotel and creates an empire large enough for all the animals of the forest (even birds).
(On sale: 9/9/2025)
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Just Shine! How to Be a Better You
Preorder from:Celina grew up poor in Puerto Rico. At age nine, her mother died, and she went to live with an older sister. Though she had difficulty finding playmates, Celina cleaned the house and regularly visited an older neighborhood woman. At seventeen, Celina joined the US Army and left for a new place, where she felt small but met new friends who felt like family. Eventually, Celina studied to become a nurse and shared her healing talents with all she encountered. Throughout her life, Celina shared her light, giving freely to everyone. In her old age, the many people whose lives she touched came to visit her. An ode to the author’s mother, this timeless message about connecting with others stays relevant for readers of all ages.
(On sale: 9/9/2025)
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The 13th Day of Christmas
Preorder from:When a heartfelt gift turns into an overwhelming deluge of dancers, carolers, and wildlife, the result is both absurd and delightful. And why would the protagonist's true love send such outlandish gifts? This quirky take on the classic Christmas song is sure to entice peals of laughter from kids and adults alike.
(On sale: 9/9/2025)
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Bunheads, Act 2: The Dance of Courage
Preorder from:Misty and her best friend, Cat, enjoy lunch on the patio while Cat shares the story of Don Quixote, the ballet she wants Miss Bradley’s ballet class to perform next. Happily, her teacher says yes, and Cat is cast in the lead role. The dances are new and exciting, and rehearsals roll by until an injury forces Cat to the sidelines. Still, the company prepares, and each girl encourages the other in friendship and ballet technique. This sequel to the original Bunheads provides two examples of courage and confidence to dancers and non-dancers alike.
(On sale: 9/16/2025)
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Buffalo Fluffalo and Puffalo
Preorder from:Buffalo is back with his prairie pals. After a day of all his usual activities, Buffalo settles down for a snooze and is rudely awoken to an incessant sob. Finding the source of the ongoing cry, Buffalo discovers a lost buffalo calf. Although he is initially annoyed and confused by the puffy creature, the two become close over time. With words like: surly, desist, and mangy, this language-rich rhyming book will be as beloved as its predecessor, Buffalo Fluffalo.
(On sale: 9/30/2025)
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It’s Not Easy Being a T. Rex
Preorder from:On Rexy’s first day of school, she hopes to fit in with her classmates. However, her large head blocks a classmate’s view, she can’t hang from the monkey bars at recess, and catching a kickball with her sharp teeth ends the game with a pop. Embarrassed, Rexy leaves the field, but sees a nearby volcano erupting. After alerting the others of danger, she swiftly uses her powerful jaws to save a friend from the falling debris. With encouragement from her classmates, Rexy realizes that her T. Rex capabilities are pretty awesome after all.
(On sale: 9/30/2025)
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The Bakery Dragon and the Fairy Cake
Preorder from:Ember, the bakery dragon, is a natural at baking bread but has never baked a cake. Left alone to supervise the bakery, he receives a strange request from Princess Turnip of the vegetable fairies: a cake for the fairy queen’s birthday. With only a scant description to go on, Ember tries his best and bakes what he thinks is a cake. After several failed attempts, he goes to the library to find a cake recipe. Finally, with his masterpiece complete, Ember attends the Fairy Queen’s birthday and adds a new menu item to the shop.
(On sale: 10/7/2025)
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A Song for Two Homes
Preorder from:Auset’s parents are getting a divorce. Although her grades in school stay high, Auset struggles with living in two homes, pretending everything is okay (with mom), and keeping it real (with dad). Talking to a therapist, confiding in a stuffed dolphin, and listening to Bob Marley gets her through the tough times. This vividly illustrated poem about a child’s experience with divorce is profoundly moving and will speak to families in a similar situation.
(On sale: 10/7/2025)
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I’m Very Busy: A (Nearly Forgotten) Birthday Book
Preorder from:Bridget begins her day brimming with optimism, certain it’s the perfect day to spend with friends. But Royal, Rodney, Regis, Penelope, and Pearl are too busy to spend time with her. They have essential tasks that they must complete. Disappointed, Bridget sighs to Pearl that she’ll have to blow out her birthday candles alone. Realizing the significance of the day, Pearl gathers the friends so they can celebrate Bridget together. This is a brilliant new birthday book to add to your collection.
(On sale: 10/7/2025)
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Crocodiles Everywhere
Preorder from:One terrible day, my best friend, Ana, moved to another city. So begins the tale of a distraught young girl dealing with the loss of her friend. As the days drag on, the crocodiles creep in. Although only she can see them, they show up everywhere — even on family vacation! At last, the girl confronts the gray crocodile, who cries with her. She then talks with the loud crocodile, who screams in fury with her until she feels peaceful. This succinct, powerful SEL story of loss and healing is accessible to even the youngest reader. I can’t recommend this one enough.
(On sale: 10/7/2025)
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Cupig Saves Christmas
Preorder from:Hold on to your reindeer! The New York Times bestselling Valentine’s Day pig is back and suiting up to save Christmas. When Santa gets sick, Cupig steps in to deliver the presents. But filling Santa's shoes is harder than it looks. With rhymes that sparkle and art that bursts with charm, this pig learns what Christmas truly means.
(On sale: 10/14/2025)
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Dude. Be Nice
Preorder from:Dude is a bear on a mission to be extra nice throughout the day. Fizz, his penguin pal, follows behind. Yet Dude’s well-meaning plan becomes a series of mistakes. Unraveling a sweater, dumping water on a cake, and giving his pal balloons that carry him away. Dude quickly learns that asking others if they would like help (and listening to their answers) is a better way to be nice. Kids will appreciate the humor in this one, while parents will appreciate the overall message.
(On sale: 10/14/2025)
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Cats on Cats on Cats
Preorder from:Beatrix loves spending time with her granny, but whenever she leaves, she worries that Granny will be lonely. On her next visit, Beatrix gives Granny a cat to keep her company. Granny, misunderstanding the gesture, buys three more cats as a surprise for Beatrix’s next visit. This tale of miscommunication soon snowballs into a CAT-astrophic, rollicking read-aloud you won’t want to miss. Young readers will also love spotting the enormous (and ever beloved/loathed) Squishmallow featured throughout the book.
(On sale: 10/21/2025)
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Lion in Bed
Preorder from:Papa Lion, eager to start the day, goes to wake his little cub. But Little Lion doesn’t want to budge, so breakfast in bed is served instead. Unable to rouse his cub time after time, a series of events are instead brought to bed. First the playground, then a birthday party, a soccer game, and an impromptu family road trip. Unfortunately, none of those tactics gets Little Lion out of bed. Finally, defeated, Papa Lion sits on the bed and slowly crawls in for a snuggle, which, as it turns out, was what Little Lion wanted all along.
(On sale: 10/21/2025)
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I Love You 100: A Counting Book Full of Love
Preorder from:I love you two, three, four, and more!
Throughout all moments of the day and no matter what children are doing, their parents love them. When they’re mad or sad or racing cars, there are hundreds of ways to measure their parents’ love. This interactive counting book encourages caregivers to count to 100 with their child and tallies the progress through each page turn.(On sale: 11/4/2025)
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A Quick Trip to the Store
Preorder from:A young girl and her mother go to the store for some bananas. When a rogue cart rolls towards the girl, she decides to explore the store on her own. Suddenly, the mundane trip to the store turns into an exciting adventure, until the girl crashes into the banana stand. Back at home, the girl and her mom bake banana bread to share with the store employees. With expressive illustrations and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie vibes, this book is fun for all ages.
(On sale: 11/11/2025)
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A Knot Is Not a Tangle
Preorder from:A young boy wakes early and spends the day with his grandmother in the Iranian countryside. First, they gather wool from Grandfather's sheep. They wash, card, spin, and dye the wool to weave a new family rug. The boy sketches a design for the new rug on graph paper and works on the loom near his grandmother to turn tangles into knots. Although the rug isn’t perfect, it holds a purpose and a story. Depicted through lavish illustrations, this sumptuous story honors thousands of years of Persian rug weaving tradition.
(On sale: 11/25/2025)
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