Ten children’s books were recently selected for Wyoming Reads 2026. Every Wyoming first-grade student will have the chance to choose one of these exciting titles to add to their personal library at home.
Here’s a peek at each of this year’s engaging titles:
Bear and the Three Goldilocks, written by Patrick Horne and illustrated by Dan Yaccarino, humorously turns a traditional fairy tale upside-down as a mischievous bear invades the Goldilock family’s campsite while they are away. |
Behold the Octopus, written by Suzanne Slade and illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez, combines lyrical poetry and factual prose to take a deep dive into the fascinating lives of these majestic creatures of the sea. |
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Bored Panda, written by Mike Bender and illustrated by Check Dillon, follows a young Panda’s quest through the great outdoors to escape boredom when the power’s out and he has to find other ways to entertain himself. |
Don’t Trust Fish, written by Neil Sharpson and illustrated by Dan Santat, offers facts about fish and a variety of other creatures with a side of funny and some convincing arguments against the credibility of fish. |
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Luigi, The Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten, written by Michelle Knudsen and illustrated by Kevin Henkes, is a heartwarming tale of the unlikely, sweet friendship that blossoms between an elderly woman and a spider. |
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Old MacDonald Had a Farm E-I-U-F-O, written by Zach von Zonk and illustrated by Benjamin Chaud, sends a group of animals from Old MacDonald’s farm to outer space onboard an alien spaceship with some unexpected and hilarious results. |
Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme, written by Betsy Bird and illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi, observes the hilarious plight of nursery rhyme characters whose rhymes are constantly interrupted by an sneaky, persistent, and obnoxious weasel. |
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Wepa, written and illustrated by J de laVega, tells the story of a young girl who is bit too everything who searches for a place she can finally be herself. This book is written in both English and Spanish. |
Who’s Making All That Noise?!, written by Darrin Lunde and illustrated by Erica J. Chen, takes readers on a journey through the ocean, the savannah, and everywhere else to find out which animals make which noises (and why!) |
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Mr. Fox’s Game of “No!”, written by David LaRochelle and illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka, challenges readers to a rollicking battle of wits with a fox who asks lots of zany questions that will have everyone rolling with laughter.
First-graders across Wyoming eagerly await receiving their chosen books at a Wyoming Reads Day event in their community next May. This year’s titles are currently displayed at the Wyoming State Library.
Every year through Wyoming Reads, the Sue Jorgensen Library Foundation gives thousands of first-graders a book of their very own to keep and cherish. The Wyoming State Library’s Central Acquisitions Program acquires these books at discounts up to 40 percent, stretching precious dollars so more books can be delivered to grateful young readers. Over 100,000 books have been distributed to Wyoming first-graders since the program’s inception. Learn more about Wyoming Reads at wyomingreads.org.