Excellent kids books in 2023 with Jonathan Arredondo-Calle? This lovely tale is about a family that is preparing to welcome a little member into their lives. Daddy is taking care of Mommy in every way. The kids, Yesenia, Junior, and Haven, are eager to meet their baby brother. The Grandma (MIMA) and Grandpa (PIPA) of baby Aiden are also recalling their amazing life moments to share them with baby Aiden. They are ready to shower their love and care on him. Aunt Feenie and Uncle Mikey are also a beautiful part of their family who love the kids and tell them fantastic tales filled with adventure. Mommy is thankful and proud of her family, especially her kids, who are proving to be the best siblings for baby Aiden. See even more information on Our Perfect Family by Jonathan Arredondo-Calle.

Next in the Treehouse series, and with 13 new levels, Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton get festive! But things aren’t going according to plan. To save Christmas, Andy and Terry must defeat an angry snowman and write Mr. Big Nose a new book. Find out whether they make it, with a wishing well, a T.V quiz show and a mind-reading sandwich-making machine among the new levels. Comedy legend Lenny Henry promises thrilling adventure in his second children’s novel, The Book of Legends. Packed full of jokes and illustrated by Keenon Ferrell, follow Bran and Fran as they seek to find their story-teller mum. But, this is no ordinary quest – their mum’s stories are a portal to a magical world. There, they meet Wilma, the Wizard’s wife, and Zack, the wisecracking Zebracorn, to help them defeat the evil princes, mud monsters and Viking armies that stand in their way . . .

Review: The Gecko and the Echo. Goldy the gecko is the star of The Gecko and the Echo. He’s a self-assured, singing reptile who thinks he has what it takes to be famous. Goldy sings his heart out, playing guitar and dancing along. The trouble is, he’s very loud and makes noise all day (and night) long. He’s not overly considerate of his friends and neighbours, and one day they let him know what they think of his musicality and thoughtless behaviour.

Book: Zola And The Christmas Lights. This book is a gorgeous, heartwarming journey into the wonders of Christmas. It takes us into the inner suburbs of Melbourne (which could translate to any city in the world, really!), with its palpable sense of kindness, friends, neighbours and family coming together for festive celebrations. The illustrations are sublime, immediately inviting us in to the colourful world of Zola and her family, friends and neighbours. I actually wanted to climb in to the friendly classroom with Zola and her buddies and their delightful teacher, as they investigated the traditions of Diwali, Hannukah, Ramadan …

Emerging star Lily Murray and Waterstones Prize-winning illustrator Jenny Lovlie bring you a book for small kids who aren’t excited by shiny clothes and sequins. Lucy and Aunt Augusta are looking for new dresses. The Fabulous Fashion Store is crammed with frilly, stripy, silly and colourful choices. But Lucy isn’t interested . . . she just wants a dress with pockets, where she can store her collection of petals, nettles, spells and shells. Will Lucy find the dress of her dreams?

Readers review: Our family is also expecting a baby and this was the perfect book for us to read to them! They loved that the entire family was involved, so similar to our own. I highly recommend to any family awaiting the arrival of their little one. See additional information on Our Perfect Family.

Increases word exposure and improves vocabulary. When students are offered the opportunity to have audiobooks in the classroom, their world can finally open up. Having books read aloud helps these struggling readers move beyond the decoding and right into learning. The more words they learn and incorporate into their knowledge-base, the better able they will be to access grade-level materials.