14 Outstanding New Nonfiction Books, February 2025

Hiding in Plain Sight Kate Warne and the Race to Save Abraham Lincoln written by Beth Anderson, illustrated by Sally Wern Comport
BIOGRAPHY / WOMEN’S HISTORY
It’s almost Lincoln’s inauguration! But he won’t be president if he can’t get to the inauguration safely. Due to a suspected assassination plot, a female spy named Katie pretends she’s a Confederate woman so she can discover the plot and keep Lincoln safe. She thinks of an ingenious way to sneak Lincoln to his destination, disguised as her brother. This is an exciting, true story with the most amazing, eye-catching, unique illustrations that combine paint, collage, and drawing.

Greatness written and photographed by Regis and Kahran Bethencourt
BIOGRAPHIES BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Part fictional story, part biography, this visually stunning book about famous Black individuals is made of incredible photographs! The story is about two siblings whose Grandma helps them understand greatness. She gives them dress-up clothing and lessons about iconic Black figures from history and today, whether the Tuskegee Airmen, Althea Gibson, or Jean-Michel Basquiat.

The Origami Kid created by Robert McGuire
ORIGAMI CRAFT STORY
In this book, a bored Mike decides to make his own adventure…with origami creations. As you read, you get to follow the directions and make the origami additions to the story! First, he makes a dog that he names Zoe. They set off on a journey and get lost in the jungle where Mike makes a monkey who helps them find their way. Take a fun filled crafty adventure with Mike and participate by making the origami creations. What else will you make? An airplane, boat, bird, balloon, and more, totaling seven different models. The book comes with 28 customized paper sheets and step-by-step instructions.

I Spy Love A Book of Picture Riddles written by Dan & Dave Marzollo, photographs by Walter Wick
SEARCH AND FIND / VALENTINE’S DAY
Search and spot items in these Valentine’s Day-themed photos filled with objects like socks and cards, marbles, and candy. My kids loved these books, and this new one would be a hit!

Why We Eat Fried Peanuts written by Zed Zha, illustrated by Sian James
LUNAR NEW YEAR
Meng’s father shares about their great-grandmother and her act of kindness to a stranger and her unwanted baby to remind them that Lunar New Year is the time to be kind to others.

Mega Math Maze A Multiplication Adventure created by Kjartan Poskitt
MULTIPLICATION MAZES
I love the illustrations of different settings (desert, polar, garden, savana). Readers will do the multiplication problem (12×8) and then find the answer (product) which peeks through the die-cut hole in the page. Flip the page and use that number to start the maze on the next page. When you finish, go backward and do division problems!

Alpacas Here, Alpacas There written by Carrie Tillotson, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri
ANIMALS
Do you know what alpacas eat? Or where they’re from? How about their predators? You will after reading this charming picture book! Learn about alpacas in this nonfiction book with dual text — the top big text is a rhyming story with repetition, and the bottom, smaller text shares the alpaca fasts.

Where To? A Trip Around the Neighborhood written by Magda Gargulakova, illustrated by Tomas Kopecky
COMMUNITY
Learn about places in the community such as the library, post office, hairdressers, police, photo studio, museum, and vet. Every child has a situation (needs to send a package, needs more books, wants to see a t-rex skeleton), and you have to pick where the child should go given four choices. Once you pick (post office, library, museum), you go to a full page plus one more page about that location plus information. The extra page is a big text heavy and uninteresting visually but the rest is visually appealing, illustrated in cute cartoons. This book feels like a good fit for children learning about communities.

Factology Vikings
HISTORY
This 100-page book is dense with design, facts, and art, whether illustrations or photos. From Viking myths to the world of the Vikings, you’ll learn more than you ever expected. I predict readers will pour over this book for hours. Also, read Factology Ocean.

Turn This Book Into a Bird Feeder! And 19 Other Activities to Explore The Amazing World of Birds written by Lynn Brunelle, illustrated by Anna-Maria Jung
BIRDS
This is the PERFECT book for studying birds, with appealing, colorful illustrations and graphic design. It belongs in every homeschool and library’s bookshelf. You’ll read information organized by topic (feathers, bones, flying, feet, senses, and more), fun facts, and activities, including experiments, crafts, and journaling. Use the slipcover to create a cylindrical bird feeder.

I’m a Dumbo Octopus! A Graphic Guide to Cephalopods written and illustrated by Anne Lambelet
OCEAN ANIMAL
Clear, adorable illustrations in comic panels introduce us to the star– a dumbo octopus! The octopus teaches readers about cephalopods like octopuses, cuttlefish, nautiluses, and squids. We learn about life cycles, defense mechanisms, predators, habitat, and more.

Blossom Origami created by Clover Robin
ORIGAMI CRAFT BOOK
From a tree to a cherry blossom and a beech leaf, find directions to make 13 plants and flowers. This book also includes 50 pull-out sheets of oversized, colored, patterned origami paper. What will you make first? Scan the QR code in the back to watch videos for each origami project. Lovely.