Jashar Awan - Only Picture Books

Loops
Author: Jashar Awan
Illustrator: Jashar Awan
Bound to Stay Bound Books
3 March 2026
48 pages

This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (Owner/Operator of Only Picture Books) and Fred Koehler, freelance creative and founder of Ready Chapter 1.

Ryan’s Review of the Writing

Jashar Awan’s Loops takes a seemingly small problem–a kid who keeps losing his lace-up shoes–and treats it with exactly the appropriate amount of seriousness. We learn that these are “big-kid shoes,” and that label matters. For this kid, tying them correctly equals competence and keeping them on equals growing up. So when they keep slipping off? Well, the frustration feels real.

The narration moves fast, swinging (looping?) between pride and panic, and it effectively invites the reader in (“Wanna see me tie them?”). The step-by-step lacing sequence is just playful enough without veering into textbook land. The inevitable wobble after the “TA-DA!” lands well, too.

There’s a looping structure to the book that’s actually a true strength. The baked-in repetition mirrors how kids actually build skills: try, mess up, try again. When the shoe goes missing (again), the meltdown feels earned. And the final twist is satisfying without over-celebrating itself.

What works best is the emotional calibration. The book respects how big small setbacks feel. It lets the kid spiral for a moment, then regroup on his own terms. There’s no lecture about perseverance. Just a kid deciding he can handle big-kid shoes after all.

Loops is compact, clever, and quietly affirming—a story about growing up that understands growth is rarely a straight path.

4.5 out of 5 shoelaces

Fred’s Review of the Illustrations

Let’s talk about the oh-so-colorful art of Loops. Most illustrators I know have made the transition to digital, which makes it painless to achieve sweeping fields of bright color. Jashar nails it with a luscious palette of gold, turquoise, red, green, and purple with pops of black and white. What’s so sneakily inviting about the artwork is the use of texture. Every complementary blob of color has just enough variation to feel finished and simultaneously draw the eye to the action.

Speaking of action, Loops also offers us fun, fast-paced layouts that mimic the frenetic energy of the main character. The unnamed protagonist sprints hither, thither, and back again–in your face on one page, then spinning dizzily on the merry-go-round, before popping up across the playground. The overall effect reminds me in all the best ways of Ezra Jack Keats’ The Snowy Day.

I’ll ding it a half a star because I longed for a tiny bit more detail to reward the careful observer. Still, much like its protagonist, there’s very little to slow down this book from a vibrant, joyful journey.

4.5 out of 5 loops

Fred Koehler is the Boston Globe Horn Book Honor Award-winning Illustrator of One Day, The End and many other books. He also co-founded Readerful, the fan-funded story app where any writer can grow their audience and turn fans into funders.

Fred is passionate about encouraging young artists, promoting social justice, and conserving our environment. He lives in Florida with his wife, kids, and a rescue dog named Cheerio Mutt-Face McChubbybutt.

Well, 2025 has come and gone! That means I’ve spent the past twelve months knee-deep in picture books, and I’m excited to share the ones that stood out.

For newcomers to OPB, I choose books based on these core principles:

Books that have heart.
Books that resonate.
Books that are skillfully done.
Books that matter.

But to earn a coveted spot on the “Best of 2025” list, a book needs to do more than check those boxes. This year, I found myself especially drawn to books with:

Originality in Execution: Books that take familiar subjects and make them feel brand new through innovative structure, unexpected humor, or a fresh approach.
Emotional Truth: Stories that capture authentic moments—the messy, complicated, beautiful reality of being human—in ways that feel both specific and universal.
Visual Storytelling: Illustrations that don’t just support the main text but expand it, adding layers of meaning and inviting every reader to linger on each page.
Playful Language: Text that delights in the sounds and rhythms of words, whether that’s through musicality, wit, or inventive wordplay.
Sticking Power: Books that refuse to leave you alone, prompting conversations, rereads, and new discoveries each time you circle back to them.

In no particular order (except alphabetical, for easy navigation), here are OPB’s standout picture books of 2025. As always, I’m including my signature 5‑word reviews for each title, along with a link to the book’s Goodreads page.

Of course, this list represents just a fraction of the wonderful picture books published this year. If your favorite didn’t make the cut, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Now, let’s dive in!

The Baby Who Stayed Awake Forever
Author: Sandra Salsbury
Illustrator: Sandra Salsbury
Doubleday Books for Young Readers
11 March 2025
40 pages

OPB’s five-word review: Sleep-deprived chaos rings delightfully true.