Nosy Crow Publisher Preview (Fall 2026)

More new books! More, I say! And today I’ve a whole slew from a little publisher that’s been around for quite a while. Aside from having what may be the most charming logo (sorry Penguin Books) we’ve a bunch of books out in the fall season worth checking out. Time to dive in, then.

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Supa Nova : Robot Takeover by Chante Timothy

ISBN: 9798887772660

Publication Date: 9/22/26

Supa Nova is back! STEM! Hijinks! In this latest addition to the series, our heroine Nova still has her secret/not-so-secret basement lab. And, as per usual in this series, there’s always new science incorporated into the plot. This one is an intro into how robots work (which pairs beautifully with that recent New Yorker article Are Humanoid Robots Ready to Be Deployed?). The book goes through how one would go about telling a computer how to make a pb&j. Nova’s entire plan in this book is to create a super useful robot will be the one to do her chores. But when the robot finishes the list it needs something else to do (think Micky Mouse in the Sorcerer’s Apprentice) and starts doing Nova’s experiments. In other words, it starts doing the stuff that she wants to do. Sound familiar?

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The Pumpkin Seed by Poppy O’Neill, ill. Brizida Magro

ISBN: 9798887773001

Publication Date: September 8, 2026

This is a debut picture bok inspired by author Poppy O’Neill’s own family’s experiences. Is it about plants and growing things? Sure, but it’s also about adjusting to a new family member moving in. In this case, a new parental partner. In this story, mom’s new girlfriend moves in after a pumpkin seed is planted. This leads to a lot of change, which is hard for the main child character to deal with sometimes. The book makes a real effort to portray these emotions really respectfully and accurately, while also retaining some humor and truth. A useful reflection of kids’ experiences coping with change.

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Follow Me, Moon by Colleen Larmour

ISBN: 9798887772981

Publication Date: September 1, 2026

Aww, this one’s pretty. And, even better, a simple picture book for younger readers (something that can sometimes be difficult to locate). With its classic-esque / retro vibe style, I liked how Avery said that every editor is given one Goodnight Moon card, and with this book, this editor is cashing hers in. In the story, a child progresses through the seasons alongside the moon. The gentle rhyming text mirrors this unique relationship with the moon. The book also sports a unique trim size as well. It’s just a little bit smaller and a little more oblong than you may be used to.

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C Is for Cat by Em Lynas, ill. Sara Ogilvie

ISBN: 9798887772691

Publication Date: October 20, 2026

A bit of a sequel here. This book is the inevitable feline follow-up to Lynas and Ogilvie’s previous title D is for Dog. On these pages you will encounter an alphabetical celebration of cats all thanks to its very lively illustrations. Filled with moments that are unique to cats, each letter accompanies a breed that starts with that letter (and those breeds are listed in the back). What breed will appear on the X page? I ain’t telling. You’re going to just have to see the book for yourself.

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One Cat, Two Cats by Jonathan Emmett, ill. Rob Hodgson

ISBN: 9798887772936

Publication Date: October 6, 2026

More cats! I know we get cat picture books every year, but I truly do believe that the quality of feline picture books in 2026 is well above par. This book based on that old one-potato, two-potato rhyme. And thanks to some clever flaps and interactive elements, cats are literally coming out of the woodwork, popping up on every spread. Jonathan Emmett isn’t simply the wordsmith at work here, but also the book’s paper engineer(!). That’s why you’re going to open this up and see cats coming outta closets and woods. And yes, Emmett and Hodgson are definitely planning on following this book up with One Dog, Two Dogs. Gotta cover all your bases, after all.

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This Book Will Make You a Scientist by Dr. Sheila Kanani, ill. Ellen Surrey

ISBN: 9798887772295

Publication Date: September 15, 2026

A tall promise for a title, eh? We’ve seen enough collected biographies to know that if you want to make one at this point, you need it to be a lot more than just a list of people. This title has a little trick up its sleeve in that regard. Sure, it contains the requisite biographical info, but it also features ways to emulate each scientist’s discovery with whatever you have at home. Each scientist gets a project (my favorite one shows kids how to extract DNA from a strawberry). The scientists are presented chronologically, with the book doing what it can to be nicely diverse in terms of both location and ethnicity. And more than half are women! The author is a member of the Royal Astronomical Society, has won achievement awards from NASA, etc. All well and good, but the true mark of their competence is how well they can distill complex concepts really successfully for kids!

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Think Big: Artificial Intelligence by Dr. Nomisha Kurian, ill. Jack Tite

ISBN: 9798887773209 

Publication Date: December 8, 2026

Here’s the question: How do you do a book like this responsibly? The author, Dr. Nomisha Kurian, is an expert in how AI can support child safety and well-being. That doesn’t mean she’s all rah-rah AI, though. The book talks about both the positive and negative impacts it can have. It’s not fearmongering, exactly, butit certainly offers safety tips. It also talks about the different ways the technology has been applied, like translating whale songs into English. Her general message is that it’s not magic and, like any tool, it can be used in a lot of different ways.

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Destiny Ink: Talent Show Magic by Adeola Sokunbi

ISBN: 9798887771908

Publication Date: September 15, 2026

This is the second book in the Destiny Ink series about a girl who loves to draw and uses that to cope. Each book in this series has a little magicky spin (but the reader has to decide if that magic is real or not). Oh, hey! Wanna see something neat? Okay, so while you and I spent the COVIC pandemic lockdown trying to wrestle sourdough, Adeola Sokunbi was doodling her kitchen. Check this out:

Destiny’s a doodler too so the book is written in a journal format with pictures on every page. In this story, Destiny is prepping for a magic act in a talent show. She’s pretty confident… until she sees how good the other performers are and has a little freak out. Her grandma explains that lots of people get stage fright and after some time Destiny decides to give it a go. The twist? Grandma also is inspired and also performs in the talent show. So kids get to see an adult showing vulnerability! These books are designed to be accessible, like early chapter books and #3 will be out in Winter ’27.

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Max and Ella, Stuck Together by Kristina Rahim

ISBN: 9798887773117

Publication Date: October 27, 2026

Here’s something I haven’t seen in a novel before: A dual narrative middle grade about being donor conceived. This one is about the relationship between donor conceived siblings when one is with the biological parent and the other is not. Max is a drummer and has sudden stage fright, which his mom cannot relate to at all. He wonders if he gets the feeling from his dad. Is there a stage fright gene? But he’s never been in contact with the man, who’s really just a donor to him. Meanwhile, Ella is happy living with her parents. In fact, she’s got a hiking trip planned with dad. Then Max shows up, hijacks the hiking trip by coming along, dad gets hurt in the course of things, and they have to work together to get him outta the woods. It’s an experience that anyone thrown into a new family dynamic will relate to this.

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And that’s all she wrote! Huge thanks to Avery Cook for sharing these titles with me. Look for them all soon!

Filed under: Publisher Previews