Publisher Preview: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers Preview (Fall 2026)

Oo! It’s ANOTHER fine and fabulous publisher preview today. That’s two in one week! Why, if I didn’t know better I’d swear there was some kind of ALA Conference coming up at the end of the month or something.

And, y’know, it occurs to me that as nice as these previews are, it probably behooves me to tell you a little something about these little publishers that I highlight. Take Eerdmans, for example. I’ve always had a soft place in my heart for them since they’re Michigan-based and I’m a born and bred Michigander (Kalamazoo 4-life, baybeeee!). But what makes Eerdemans so very very interesting is that they’re one of the very few religious publishers to make the crossover into mainstream children’s book publishing. Sure they do some light religious stuff (you’ll see a touch of that today) but a lot of the children’s book imprint titles are secular. And remember back in 2009 when they won their first 2008 Caldecott Honor for A River of Words? When small publishers win huge awards, I get very happy.

I’m happy today too with the array of titles I’ve seen. Take a gander. You may see something you like:

---

Still Water: The Wonders of Ponds, Pools, Wetlands, and More by Maciej Michno, Danio Miserocchi and Valentina Gottardi , illustrated by Valentina Gottardi

ISBN: 978-0802856593

Publication Date: August 18, 2026

Do you happen to remember the nonfiction picture book Who Hid the Stars? which covered light pollution in a kid-friendly way? Well, that same team has reunited once more to cover a topic that is both very misunderstood and very important. If you’re in the market for some niche nature topics, this will fit the bill perfectly. First off, it’s fairly accessible (I mean, every kid can understand the concepts because they’ve all seen puddles before). Plus there’s gorgeous artwork and lots of backmatter. Flip through the table of contents and you’ll see that it runs the gamut, covering everything from newts to leeches. There’s even information at the end that tells kids how they can act on some of the information they’ve just learned and make a difference themselves. As for the actual text itself, it’s a very broad topic, encompassing everything from puddles and small collections of water in the trunk of a tree, all the way up to those bigger wetland systems. Now originally this was a European book and it looked more at local plants and animals on that particular continent. Now it’s been adapted for North American readers. And sure, some of those European species are here… as invasive species.

---

Counting Winter (Board Book) by Nancy WhiteCarlstrom; illus. by Claudia McGehee

ISBN: 978-0802856623

Publication Date: September 8, 2026

Under normal circumstances, when I cover a publisher preview I have a tendency to avoid mentioning board book adaptations of already existing picture books. I don’t dislike them or anything, I just don’t find them quite as interesting. I will, on occasion, make exceptions to this, and today that exception comes in the form of the new board book version of this gorgeous Carlstrom/McGehee collaboration. If you recall, the original Counting Winter picture book was a rather clever counting and animal story. It will surprise no one, then, to hear that it has adapted very well to its new format! The art and beautiful spreads are still the same and they trimmed down trim size and the text to half the original words. Looking forward to seeing this one firsthand.

---

Branch: A Resurrection Story by Rebecca Janni, Illustrated by Michelle Carlos

ISBN: 978-0802856159

Publication Date: September 22, 2026

Remember when I mentioned that Eerdmans does the occasional religious title. This, ah, fits the bill. It’s also psychedelic (my favorite kind of delic) and utterly gorgeous. Essentially, what we’re looking at here is a retelling of the Bible story from Genesis to Revelation. It talks about family lines. It uses a lot of metaphors about how you are the branches. Then it uses trees, branches, vines, and gardens tell the Biblical story. It also moves through the birth of Jesus, the crucifixion, and resurrection (and you need to seriously check out that last image in the following sequence here). It was apparently really difficult to find an illustrator of this book since they needed someone capable of tackling both the literal and metaphorical in their art. Michelle Carlos came through in a big way, and there’s an illustrator note at the end of the book that discusses the depth of research she did to create this art. For example, she did a survey of 2,000 years of art before creating this. Absolutely beautiful results.

---

Puma Concolor: In Search of Patagonia’s Wild Pumas by René Araneda, illus. by Julio Antonio Blasco , trans. by Lawrence Schimel

ISBN: 978-0802856609

Publication Date: September 29, 2026

Translated from Spanish, this book comes to us from Chile. And yes, it’s definitely about pumas, but it’s also a beautiful way for young readers to see how a documentary crew works in the wild. The author is an Emmy-nominated documentarian and this book is based on a documentary of his (the documentary was narrated by David Attenborough too!). The whole story is told through the lens of this documentary crew that’s following a small family of pumas. There’s even a section in the backmatter at the end of the book where you get to meet the crew. As for the book itself, you also get these infographic-esque sections that talk about how pumas fit into the wider feline family. Alongside such facts is the story of this mother and her four cubs, as she raises them and helps them survive. The whole thing is set in Patagonia, a country which may be unfamiliar to a lot of American kid readers, and they get to learn about that area. That said, pumas are also located in North America too. Heck, there are even puma cubs in the U.P. in Michigan! Bonus points for the QR code in the book that let’s you hear the sounds that the pumas make as they’re recorded by the documentary crew.

---

This Is How to Spot Animals by Aline Portman, trans. by Laura Watkinson

ISBN: 978-0802856616

Publication Date: October 6, 2026

A Belgian import! We don’t see as many Belgian titles in a given year as I would like. This little charmer also stands out thanks to its oblivious lead and its pitch perfect readaloud qualities. Are you a fan of dramatic irony in picture books? Then you are in luck. Our hero, the bear, is “spotting animals” today and he’s more than willing to give you, the reader, some tips. Unfortunately, for him, he seems to be missing all the action. The refrain that keeps coming up throughout the book is, “But today we’re out of luck. There’s nothing to see here.” Reminds me a bit of that old Ellen Raskin title Nothing Ever Happens on Our Block. The art, however, brings to mind the works of Sebastian Meschenmoser with its limited color palette. Best of all, this is Aline Portman’s English language debut. Let’s give her book a warm and hearty welcome so that we can see more of the same in the future, eh?

---

The Boy Behind the Wardrobe: How C.S. Lewis Grew Up to Create Narnia by Suzanne Poulter Harris; illus. by Mira Miroslavova

ISBN: 978-0802855169

Publication Date: October 20, 2026

Not our first picture book bio of an Inkling, but usually Tolkien’s the star of the show. This is a secular biography poised to time well with the upcoming movie adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew (directed by Gina Gershon). This particular biography focuses on Lewis’s emotional trajectory since childhood. It discusses how his parents fed his mind with poetry and has a special fondness for his relationship with his brother. The title takes care to mention the books he loved as a kid himself that helped to inform the stories that he would eventually share with the rest of the world. It even covers a bit of the Inklings and Tolkien as well. And importantly (to me) there is extensive backmatter! I’m talking Author’s Notes, Illustrator’s Notes, aTimeline, etc. Little wonder it’s good. The author is a teacher in D.C.

---

The Adventures of Odysseus: A Graphic Novel of The Odyssey by Nicolás Schuff, illus. by Mariana Ruiz Johnson, trans. by Lawrence Schimel

ISBN: 978-0802856630

Publication Date: October 27, 2026

Next up, a kind of graphic novel-adjacent adaptation from Argentina. And, yet again, they’re getting this out in time for the upcoming movie. Aimed at the Percy Jackson set, I really appreciated the mention that this is for those kids not quite yet be ready for the Gareth Hinds adaptation of the same title (glad they mentioned him!). This is just the first in a small series that will cover the Trojan War later. In this fresh, fun, and playful take on the story you get all the highlights: The Sirens, Circe, the Cyclops, etc. The author has some background in classics as well, so a lot of research and care has been placed into this book. Put another way, it’s faithful where it needs to be. They’ll have ARCs of this at the upcoming ALA Converence, so look for them there!

Thanks again to the team at Eerdmans for giving us this sneak peek today. And happy reading!

Filed under: Publisher Previews