January’s Best Picture Books

Pete the Cat: 5-Minute Pete the Cat Stories: Includes 12 Groovy Stories, by James Dean
Pete the Cat’s life is full of wacky adventures—and there are 12 for the price of one in this groovy new storybook. You and your little reader can join Pete for some swimming, racing, and dragon fighting tonight—and there will be plenty of stories left over for bedtime tomorrow!

A is for Awful: A Grumpy Cat ABC Book (Grumpy Cat), by Christy Webster
Grumpy Cat, the cantankerous feline celebrity we all know and apprehensively love, is now more than an Internet sensation—she’s featured in her very own adorable Golden Book! If A is for Awful, you can only imagine the downward spiral that you’ll follow on this hilarious alphabet adventure—better start tonight!

The Runaway Bunny Padded Board Book, by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd
Your littlest reader will adore the sturdy, ultra-huggable 75th anniversary edition of Margaret Wise Brown’s hide-and-seek classic. Perfect for bedtime, this reassuring tale features an irascible little bunny whose loving Mama finds him every time he thinks he’s found the perfect hiding spot.

George Catches a Cold, by Eone
There aren’t many activities more fun than splashing in puddles, so George and Peppa squeal with delight anytime they approach these tiny bodies of water. Too much splashing eventually leads to a stuffy, sniffly cold for George, however, and now he has to figure out how to feel better!

Jurassic Bark! (PAW Patrol), by Hollis James and Fabrizio Petrossi
Millions of years ago, dinosaurs roamed the earth—and now they’re loose again in Adventure Bay! Will the PAW Patrol be able to restore order, and coax these friendly beasts back to where they belong? Your little readers will love this prehistoric PAW Patrol adventure!

Peppa Pig and the Big Train (Peppa Pig), by Eone
Peppa Pig and all of her pals have jumped aboard a giant train, and they’re bound for…a surprise destination! If you and your littlest readers can help the excited passengers spot different objects along the way, you might just be able to guess where they’re headed—and this interactive journey will quickly become a favorite!

Beat Bugs: Help, by Anne Lamb
If your little ones can’t get enough of Beat Bugs, the new Netflix series inspired by Beatles songs, they’ll devour this story of friendship and high adventure as soon as you bring it home. Crick develops a catapult, and Jay offers to be the guinea pig; the operation’s swell until Jay lands—in a jam jar! Can the Beat Bugs turn this sticky situation around?

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Read-Along Storybook and CD, by Elizabeth Schaefer and Brian Rood
This first episode of Star Wars is one that’s meant to be enjoyed again and again—and, thanks to the included read-along CD, you don’t have to go hoarse complying with a demanding audience. Enjoy an intergalactic story time—listen tonight and read tomorrow!

Duck and Goose, by Tad Hills
Finally, this modern classic, which focuses on friendship and teaches an essential lesson about cooperation, is available as a sturdy board book. While the illustrations are tender as ever, the abridged text makes the story accessible to the littlest readers.

Chicken Soup with Rice Board Book (A Book of Months), by Maurice Sendak
It’s been more than 50 years since its original printing, but Sendak’s classic book of months still serves up a hearty story time. Whether it’s January or July, it’s always a good time for Chicken Soup with Rice—tuck in with this warm and wacky tale tonight!