Monkey’s Sweet Surprise: A Lunar New Year Mix Up by Patricia Tanumihardja (author) and Bonnie Lui (illustrator) (Picnic Heist Publishing). “Today is Lunar New Year’s Eve. All the zodiac animals are excited about tonight’s reunion banquet…everyone except Monkey. He’s still embarrassed about what happened last year.” What did happen? Let’s just say mistakes (and messes) were made. Can he redeem himself by making the Jade Empress her favorite dessert for this year’s celebration? Maybe — if he gets some help from the fantastical creatures around him!

A Book of Loves by Cynthia Rylant (Beach Lane Books). “Cats love…boxes, food, windows, cupboards, friends…” Dogs love lots of things, too, and so do children, and so do all of us. But how often do we pause to consider the small, unsung parts of our world that bring us joy? The Newbery Medal-winning author reminds us to do just that in this charming, simple tale that celebrates life’s quiet pleasures.

Frog: A Story of Life on Earth by Isabel Thomas (author) and Daniel Egnéus (illustrator) (Bloomsbury Children’s Books). “Look! It’s a pond full of jelly-like eggs that will one day be tadpoles, that will one day grow legs and will one day be frogs that lay eggs of their own. But if frogs come from eggs, and eggs come from frogs, where did the first frog come from?” To answer that question, you’ll have to explore how the universe itself was born, which is exactly what this lush, lyrical book does!