Puffins and Pufflings Without Puffery: A Discussion with the Teams Behind PUFFLINGS FLY FREE and PUFFINS!
It is a truth universally acknowledged that while children’s librarians do not argue about many things, there is one topic bound to be the subject of raucous debate whenever it arises. Mainly this: What is the picture book animal of the year?
Bears or chickens? Capybaras or pigs? Read enough books for kids and you see the trends. I submit to my dear readers the possibility that the matter has been settled in 2026. For all intents and purposes, there is truly only a single animal of the hour. The one. The only.
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The puffin.
By complete coincidence, two puffin-related titles are coming out in 2026, and they complement one another perfectly. On the one hand you have Colleen Paeff and Linda Ólafsdóttir’s PUFFLINGS FLY FREE (out as of yesterday). This picture book follows the true life efforts of families in Iceland’s Westman Islands, gathering at midnight to save lost baby puffins, or pufflings and guide them safely back to the sea.
And at practically the same time you also have Maria Gianferrari and Maris Wicks of PUFFINS (out since April), a nonfiction picture book title that follows one adorable puffling as she eats, grows, and learns how to survive on her busy, bustling island.
Naturally, we had to get these crazy kids together.
Today, I am pleased as punch to present a video interview with these four creators. We discuss Iceland (can you guess which of the four hasn’t been?), how these books work so well with one another, the Northern Lights, and much much more. This was a deeply fun talk. These folks? They know how to puffin.
HUGE thanks to Colleen Paeff, Linda Ólafsdóttir, Maria Gianferrari, and Maris Wicks for managing to find a time across four different time zones to speak with me. Both PUFFLINGS FLY FREE and PUFFINS are out now, so get yourselves some copies. After all, you don’t want to be left behind when it comes to the Official Children’s Book Animal of 2026, do you?
Filed under: Best Books, Best Books of 2026, Interviews, Videos
About Betsy Bird
Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Kirkus, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on BlueSky at: @fuse8.bsky.social
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