Ellen Myrick Publisher Preview: Spring 2024 – Cicada, Creston, Diamond, and Eye of Newt

Spring 2024 has officially sprung and we’ve reached the end of our preview session of small publishers premiering books this season. If you’ve enjoyed this series then that is in large part due to the tireless work of Ellen Myrick of Myrick Marketing. Be sure to read previous installments of this series. Part One here, Part Two here, Part Three here, Part Four here, Part Five here, Part Six here, Part Seven here, and Part Eight here.

And without further ado, on with the show!

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Stones and Bones by Rob Wilshaw and Ziggy Hanaor, illustrated by Sophie Williams

ISBN: 9781800660427

Publication Date: May 7, 2024

Suddenly I have the song “Diamonds Are Forever” caught in my head, except now the lines are, “Dinos are forever / They are all I need to please me…” That would certainly be true for a lot of the dino-obsessed kiddos still out there these days. This book shoots a little above the usual preschooler set to those kids that never lost their awe of the Mesozoic. Of course, the focus with this highly illustrated title is more on the boney side of the equation. Using case studies of fossils unique to each era, including Paleozoic, Mesozoic and more, the book dedicates itself to many of the well-known and not-so-well-known species from prehistoric times. And, man. Gotta love that fun art.

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Who’s Writing This Story by Robin Newman, illustrated by Deborah Zemke

ISBN: 9781954354296

Publication Date: May 7, 2024

Boy, what is it about The Three Little Pigs and meta picture books, right? From The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka to The Three Pigs by David Wiesner, there’s just something about the story that lends itself to breaking down the fourth wall (no pun intended). In this version the three pigs and their ally the wolf battle against the would-be cliches and tropes that their author would foist upon them. It’s sort of perfect that author Robin Newman was once practicing attorney and legal editor. You can see a lot of that in her narrator.

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I Run to Make My Heart Beat by Rachel Khan and Aude Massot

ISBN: 9781960171054

Publication Date: February 27, 2024

You know I don’t like to focus on YA when I do these round-ups, but maybe it’s the fact that my own 13-year-old daughter refuses to read anything but romance comics these days. In any case, I suppose I can make a little room for this fine French book. In this coming of age story, a female athlete of Gambian and Polish/Jewish heritage discovers that running is the thing that makes her feel most alive. The book is semi-autobiographical, and for those of us in need of a graphic novel about sports that isn’t baseball (a rarity, to be sure), this more than fits the bill.

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Gwelf Into the Hinterlands by Larry MacDougall

ISBN: 9781777791858

Publication Date: April 2, 2024

Remember Dinotopia? I suppose I’m dating myself, but I like to think that there’s still room in this world for some major world building aided, in no small part, by art that includes sketches and notations and maps. For those kids who are really into world building (and maybe a bit of Redwall as well) this series boasts some beautiful/creepy cool books. Consider it the gateway drug to role playing games.

And that wraps us up, folks! Thanks again to Ellen. Stayed tuned soon for even more books on the horizon.

Filed under: Publisher Previews