Clothing can tell you a lot about someone. It's can be a way to convey emotions, attitudes, and personal style. Animals, however, typically don't express themselves through clothing... mostly because they don't usually wear clothes. These books are an ode to animals who break the norm and the excellent outfits they wear.
By Sean E Avery
Newtown, NSW, Australia; London; Boston: Walker Books and Subsidaries, 2025. Picture Book.
Frank has a lot of ideas. While sometimes they work out for him, often times they are a disaster. So when the penguin decides to add some color to the black and white landscape with a red hat, his fellow penguins are a little skeptical about creation. Skepticism turns to outright fear when the hat seemingly gets one of the penguins eaten by a whale. Frank tries hats of various colors and styles but his penguin friends won't try any of them. This book about continuing to try despite obstacles in your way full of cute penguins will be loved by children young and elementary-aged.
By Marissa Valdez
New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2025. Picture Book.Jacques the hedgehog loves to wear underwear. Ever since they arrived on his doorstep via a balloon from the universe, Jacques has been obsessed with them. However he's worried about how his friends will take the announcement about his adoration of briefs. Eventually, Jacques knows that he must let his friends know who he really is and brings his underwear to a party. While at first he's met with dismay, eventually his announcement gives his friends the space to admit their love of various attire. Whether your kids are fans of funny stories, or want a story about individualism, there's something for everyone to love with this book.
Illustrated by Zara Gonzalez Hoang
New York, NY : Harper, 2023. Picture Book.Gato Guapo, a well-dressed cat, has nueve gatitos that follow him around everywhere. After counting the cats on each spread in Spanish however, you might notice that one is missing every time. On each page a new cat declares "¡Yo soy Gato Guapo!" while stealing a piece of the real Gato Guapo's clothing. This book is a stylish way to teach your child simple terms including counting words!
New York: Simon Spotlight, 2025. Easy Reader.
This easy reader about a squid with excellent fashion sense is perfect for kids just learning to read. Focusing on short sentences and one-syllable words, Squid in Pants is one that kids can read on their own while still having a plot and being laugh-out-loud funny (something not guaranteed with easy reader books). After Squid steals clothes from a boy who's snorkeling, squid and his friends make some adjustments to the fashion. But when the boy demands his wardrobe back, they have to make a deal to keep some of the clothing to use for their under-the-sea parade.
Illustrated by Cailin Doherty
Toronto, ON ; Berkeley, CA : Owlkids Books, 2025. Picture Book.Fish knows that they NEED pants. When Octopus points out that Fish can't wear pants without any legs, Fish finds many other clothing necessities. Like slippers, mittens, or rainbow hair ties. Octopus patiently points out that Fish doesn't have feet or hands or hair, so Fish definitely DOESN'T need any of those thing. But what, Fish wonders, if they don't need them but do want them? Octopus supports Fish in their desire to wear whatever they want and eventually dons pants on all 8 of its legs.
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