The following picture books for young readers feature animals — both real and imaginary.
MY DOG SMUDGE, by Sujean Rim, Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, Sept. 16, 2025, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 3-6)
Smudge the dog and his girl visit animal after animal trying to identify the strange sounds Smudge makes in novelty book with lift-the-flaps.
Smudge looks like an ordinary dog but rather than woof, bark, or bow-wow, he makes rather extraordinary sounds. His human can’t tell what language he’s speaking, so she decides to consult other animals. From a cow to a pig to a busy bee, everyone is just as baffled by Smudge’s noises.
But perhaps what really matters is not the language Smudge speaks but what he’s saying. Little ones can lift flaps to reveal each barnyard animal and, ultimately, find out what Smudge has been trying to communicate all along. —Synopsis provided by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
With a sweet central character and charming secondary animals, My Dog Smudge is a delightful read. There’s humor laced throughout perfectly suited to a young audience. The publisher’s suggested age is 4-8, but the book’s simplicity and interactive elements are better suited to a younger audience, ages 3-6.
THE ABC ZOO: BEASTLY FACTS FROM A TO Z, by Oliver Weiss, Princeton Architectural Press, Sept. 16, 2025, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 2-7)
Animals, art, and the ABCs—this dazzlingly delightful picture book shares an alphabetical collection of facts about all kinds of animals we know (or thought we did!) and love.
Did you know that a squid changes color and glows in the dark? That giraffes have tongues as long as your arm? That trying to race an ostrich would be like racing a train?
Learn a host of surprising facts about animals from A to Z in this gloriously illustrated book for kids. Featuring unique collages that incorporate colorful inks, photographs, and torn paper effects, The ABC Zoo is an educational and endlessly fun volume for animal lovers, art admirers, and fact fanciers. —Synopsis provided by Princeton Architectural Press
Perfect for animal-lovers, this ABC book features surprising animal facts against the backdrop of the most eclectic zoo you’ll come across. The collage-based illustrations are brightly colored and have a strong textural quality.
SOMETIMES YOU FIND A DRAGON: FIND YOUR DRAGON. FIND YOUR CREATIVITY. by Viviane Schwarz, Candlewick Press, Sept. 16, 2025, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 3-7)
Sometimes a dragon isn’t just a dragon—sometimes it’s a metaphor for creativity, in a free-spirited book inspiring kids to express themselves through words, art, and more.
What should you do when you find a dragon? The first thing is to notice it, then hold it, look, listen, and find out what it wants. For instance, you might discover that after every storm, dragons (some call them twigs) fly off the trees and fall to the ground, inviting you to give them eyes and wings. There’s a dragon hiding in every paintbrush, too, while other dragons are made of words. Some live in musical instruments, or even inside upturned buckets. Have you ever danced a dragon? —Synopsis provided by Candlewick Press
Sometimes You Find a Dragon encourages readers to look at the world in a different way — a stick is more than a stick. This celebration of imagination would be a fantastic prompt for art projects.
Copyright © 2025 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.
