Picture books, as I’ve said before (apologies for beating this to death), are inspiring ways of entertaining children while also opening the door for discussion of important topics. These picture books will certainly open the door for talks about topics as diverse as brother-sister rivalry, parental admonitions, cloud formation, stereotyping, and even facts vs. lies. All of these would be perfect additions for a classroom or school library.

“You Broke It!” by Liana Finck is a simply drawn picture book featuring babies doing what babies do, while their parent (we don’t really know if it’s a mom or dad), admonishes them for doing it. For example, a baby bird is breaking out of its shell, and its parent says, “You broke it!” A baby tornado is doing what tornadoes do, and its parent chides, “You’re making a mess.” This continues with other animals until the sweet, loving last few pages, where we see that parents love their babies no matter what they do. This is a wonderful book for young readers and could engender a discussion of what characteristics these baby animals (and a tornado) have. An adult might ask a child, “Why do you think the parent said that?” And, “How would that make you feel?” The simple text makes this a very accessible book for young readers, and the line drawings are mostly black and white with a bit of color added, keeping readers engaged. (Rise x Penguin Workshop)

“The Book that Almost Rhymed” by Omar Abed and Haten Aly is a really clever combination of creative text and brilliant illustrations. The story is told in verse—almost. Our main character’s little sister interrupts him just as he’s about to finish his rhyme with a word or words that most definitely do not rhyme. Incidentally, my grandson had a great time finishing the rhyme before the little sister butted in to ruin it. Or so the big brother thinks. But he’s a model big brother, and he’s kind, so even though he’s palpably disappointed in the way she’s hijacking his story, he plays along. And at the end of it all, he finds to his surprise that maybe a little sister can actually make things better! (Dial Books for Young Readers)

A very clever version of a familiar nursery rhyme is “Brave Miss Muffet” by Dori Graham and Kyle Beckett. It begins as does the classic tale, but the narrator is surprised when Miss Muffet is NOT scared of the spider. And when the first person narrator asks her why she isn’t running away, she explains that she likes spiders. So the narrator tries a different animal, a tiger. But Miss Muffet isn’t frightened by the tiger either, calling it “kitty.” No matter what animal the narrator uses to try to frighten her, Miss Muffet is resolute. So in the end, when the narrator asks her what he (or she) should do if Miss Muffet won’t abide by the terms of the poem, she has a brilliant suggestion. Children will think it’s really funny, but it also shows how stereotypes about scary animals are just wrong. And that’s worth a discussion. (Reycraft Books)

Deborah Freedman’s new picture book “Partly Cloudy” is a perfect combination of story and nonfiction text. Two rabbit friends are playing outside and looking at the clouds. One rabbit tells the other what the clouds look like while the friend, a more pedantic rabbit, then tells his friend the scientific name for that type of cloud, and an inset gives even more information about the clouds. On one page, the rabbit says, “That looks like a giant spilled magic beans in the sky! FEE FI FO FUM!” His friend, who wears glasses, replies, “There are no giants in the sky. That is a CIRROCUMULUS cloud, which is made up of small icy clouds that are called cloudlets.” The inset tells us that “CIRROCUMULUS cloudlets look tiny because they are so high and far away.” There’s a cute twist at the end, and, of course, there is nonfiction information at the end of the book including the ten main types of clouds and the earth’s water cycle. I learned that contrails, or aircraft condensation trails, could play a part in climate change as they can turn into clouds that trap heat in the atmosphere. This is a great addition to a library or classroom studying clouds or the water cycle. And, of course, Deborah Freedman’s illustrations are breathtaking. (VIking)

And finally, the classic picture book “No, David!” by David Shannon is celebrating its 25th anniversary! This picture book is just as timely now as it was a quarter of a century ago as it depicts David (yes, the author himself), as a young boy doing naughty things and being told “no.” It’s based on the book that David wrote when he was five years old, a picture of him doing things he was not supposed to do and being told “no” on every page. The brightly colored illustrations and the simple text, as well as the sweet ending (no matter what, parents love their children) make this a cherished book. I’d love to see it used in the classroom with primary students. I’d have them write and illustrate their own “No” book with things they might do at home (or school) that they are not supposed to do. And they’d need to end it with something positive, just like the real David did. (Orchard Books)

Please note: This review is based on the final picture books provided by the publishers for review purposes.