Pawfect Children’s Books for Dog Lovers Plus 2 Great New Releases

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Margaret Kingsbury grew up in a house so crammed with books she couldn’t open a closet door without a book stack tumbling, and she’s brought that same decorative energy to her adult life. Margaret has an MA in English with a concentration in writing and has worked as a bookseller and adjunct English professor. She’s currently a freelance writer and editor, and in addition to Book Riot, her pieces have appeared in School Library Journal, BuzzFeed News, The Lily, Parents, StarTrek.com, and more. She particularly loves children’s books, fantasy, science fiction, horror, graphic novels, and any books with disabled characters. You can read more about her bookish and parenting shenanigans in Book Riot’s twice-weekly The Kids Are All Right newsletter. You can also follow her kidlit bookstagram account @BabyLibrarians, or on Twitter @AReaderlyMom.

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Happy Sunday, kidlit friends! We have been hurriedly buying school supplies this week since school starts in just one more week! When does school start where you live? I feel like Nashville starts really early.

Last newsletter was dedicated to the cats, so now I’m featuring all children’s books about dogs, plus two wonderful new releases.

New Releases

There Are No Ants in This Book by Rosemary Mosco, illustrated by Anna Pirolli

This is such a funny picture book about ants. A child is ready for a picnic and thinks they’ve found the perfect, ant-less spot to have it. Then an acorn ant shows up. But it’s only one ant, so she continues her picnic. More and more various species of ants arrive, disrupting her picnic, yet when an even more unwelcome guest drops by, she hides the ants to keep them from being eaten. Picnics, after all, are more fun if shared. Back matter includes further details about the types of ants in the book.

Grow Up, Luchy Zapata by Alexandra Alessandri

Luchy Zapata has two best friends: Cami and Mateo. Cami’s family come from the same area of Colombia as Luchy’s and the families are friends. Luchy is so excited that the trio will be going to the same school together, but on the first day, it feels like Cami is more interested in being cool than Luchy’s friend. Then Cami begins stealing Luchy’s things as a joke, and the joke escalates into an all-out war, with Mateo trying to mediate. This is a funny middle grade novel full of friend drama.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Now for some bark-rific children’s books for dog lovers!

Simon and the Better Bone by Corey R. Tabor

All of Corey R. Tabor’s picture books are so cleverly illustrated, and Simon and the Better Bone is no exception. It’s a modern retelling of Aesop’s “The Dog and His Reflection.” Simon is a good boy who is super excited about finding a bone by the pond. But as he passes the pond, he sees another dog, also with a bone! An even better bone. Simon wants that bone, and he tries numerous ways to get it. This hilarious read will be on repeat!

Lost Stick by Anoosha Syed

This is another hilarious picture book featuring a confused good boy. Milo loves playing with his human Louise. One day, Louise pretends to throw a stick, hiding it behind her back. Milo runs after the nonexistent stick, and when he doesn’t find it, he keeps on looking everywhere. His search for the stick takes him to faraway places. Meanwhile, as Milo searches for the stick, Louise is searching for Milo! Can the two reunite, and will Milo ever find the stick?

José and Feliz Play Fútbol by Susan Rose & Silvia López, illustrated by Gloria Félix

This charming early chapter book is the second in a series, though they can be read in any order. Both books are written in English with lots of Spanish words. José is excited about joining the soccer— fútbol—team. But when he kicks the ball at practice, his best canine friend Feliz chases after it. José needs to train Feliz so he won’t ruin his fútbol matches. The first book in the series is José and El Perro.

Wagnificent by Bethanie Murguia

This is a funny first book in a new middle grade graphic novel series. Thunder wants to be a good dog for her human Sage, but her inner wolf keeps popping up and telling her to do things that Sage disapproves of, like barking at nearby dogs, tearing up clothes, chasing a squirrel, and more. While Sage gets irritated with Thunder, when Thunder goes missing, she’s desperate to find her. Back matter includes more about how dogs coevolved with humans.