Kids Can Press Publisher Preview (Spring 2026)

Kids Can Press Publisher Preview (Spring 2026)

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Unlike other small publishers, Kids Can Press had a heckuva December.

Cast your mind back a spell. The nation was in turmoil (or, put another way, par for the course these days) and in the midst of all sorts of awfulness our government has waged against innocent people, this included U.S. strikes on boats in the Caribbean. So in December the U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used an unauthorized, AI-generated image of the children’s character Franklin the Turtle to create a fake book cover. It was titled Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists (seen here). The violent, political post, depicted Franklin in a helicopter with firearms. Naturally, it was immediately condemned by the Kids Can Press as a misuse of the character (to put it mildly). They wrote, “We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which directly contradicts these values.”

So yeah. Kids Can Press has been dealing with some stuff recently. And not just the usual book banning madness.

Today, we’ll be looking at a slew of titles they have coming out in 2026. None of them have to do with Franklin. All of them have to do with showing the world just how diverse and fantastic children’s literature is right now in the 21st century.

I Will Not Walk to School by Naseem Hrab and Kelly Collier

ISBN: 9781525314391

Publication Date: May 5, 2026

See, this is one of those cases where I can’t even improve upon the in-house description. As Kids Can Press says of this book, it’s, “An uproariously funny and relatable tale of a monster who loves school, but hates the commute!” I can’t beat that. And could I get a copy of this for my teenager? Aside from its great title, this book comes to us from the illustrator behind that infinitely charming Otis & Peanut series. Only Otis & Peanut is a Owl Kids publication. This book marks the first time KCP has done a book with Naseem before. As for Kelly, we know her from all sorts of things, like the Steve the Horse books. Did you know that Kelly was actually a slush pile find? True story!

But getting back to this picture book, in this story our monster protagonist loves school but hates the commute so he does everything he can to make the trip more fun. Hopping. Skipping. Smelling roses. His friend, a bird, encourages him not to be late for his favorite day (it’s pineapple pizza pancake day, I think?). I was informed that when reading this aloud, it is a good idea to give the monster a Tom Waites voice (and if you video record yourself doing so, be sure to send me the link). This book is ideal for teachers who wish to encourage discussions with their classes about and how kids get to school. And the sequel (of course there will be one) will be I Will Not Clean My Room.

Buttfish by Pauline Pinson, ill. Magali le Huche

ISBN: 9781525314124

Publication Date: May 5, 2026

I have some bad news for you. The buttfish? It’s not a real fish. I’m sorry to be the bearer of such news. Considering the sheer scope of strange fishies in the sea, it seemed conceivable to me that a buttfish might actually exist. Alas, he is but a figment of these creators’ imaginations. Now this book, previously published overseas, has already sold 50,000 copies in France. It is about, as you might expect, a fish whose face is shaped like a tuchis and he’s sick of dealing with it. He deals with the rude comments of others by making fart sounds, which amuses them. However, doing so bums him out (haha). So he goes lower in the sea and finds other interestingly shaped swimmers, like the swordfish and the lanternfish. They don’t care what they look like. Then he becomes best buddies with cheesefish (the only other fish in the book that doesn’t really exist). Reading this, I couldn’t help but think that it would pair particularly well with the Japanese Butt Detective series. Right?

Worm on the Job by Maureen Fergus, ill. Paul G. Hammond

ISBN: 9781525313165

Publication Date: May 5, 2026

The premise lies entirely in the title. Worm loves being a librarian, but has decided he’s read all the books and must move on to a new job. That shouldn’t be too hard, right? In the course of this story he considers all sorts of occupations, but alas nothing quite fits his skill set. Then he sees a job that involves guarding the invention convention. Now the hiring manager thinks he’s too small, but he convinces the hiring fella that he’s got what it takes. This book exhibits just the right level of absurdity on its pages. It probably doesn’t hurt matters any that it stars a VERY self-confident worm.

Philomena and the Big Bad Mimi by Geneviève Jannelle, ill. Jasmine Mirra Turcotte

ISBN: 9781525315183

Publication Date: May 5, 2026

At the start of our conversation about this title I was asked to look at the cover and say what I though the creature featured there was supposed to represent. Turns out it’s our ego. That overwhelming desire we sometimes feel to talk about me me me (hence the “Mimi”). This ego is portrayed as a butterfly in a storyline that’s all about learning to share the spotlight. This particular monster makes her talk about herself. How do you banish it? Well, Philomena discovers there’s a creature even bigger that can scare it off: The YouYou (my spelling may be a it off). And if you say, “And you?” then you can summon it. To be frank, I have never seen this particular topic in a book before. Seems to me like adults could probably learn one or two things from this title as well…

The Book of Jupiter by Robin Stevenson

ISBN: 9781525313028

Publication Date: June 2, 2026

What’s the hot new trend in middle grade fiction for kids these days? Cults! Think about it. You’ve the Newbery Honor winner The Wrong Way Home, last year’s Jenni Holm title Outside, to say nothing of Candace Fleming’s multi-award winning Death in the Jungle. It just makes sense. Plus, I can’t help but think it’s a good thing to teach kids about how to avoid the darn things. It’s odd, but last year author Robin Stevenson was in courts fighting the banning of her board book Pride Puppy. Now she’s promoting her book about a kid in a doomsday cult. In this story, our heroine lives by the rules of Father Jupiter and and believes that someday everyone will become stardust and ascend to the stars. But when someone she knows disappears, she must decide if she’s willing to risk everything to find out the truth. Each chapter begins with a teaching from the “Book of Jupiter” but these stop chapter headings stop when our hero discovers that everything she knows has been a lie. I want to read this! It doesn’t hurt that this particular book is already a Junior Library Guild selection as well.

Wanted: Your House by Monique Polak

ISBN: 9781525313769

Publication Date: May 5, 2026

Housing insecurity and the current market is the focus of this interesting idea for a middle grade novel. In this story, a kid comes up with an unusual real estate plan. Cyril’s mom is in real estate and he has been dragged along with her to house openings for most of his life. When it becomes clear that they will never be able afford their own house in their city, the boy comes up with a cunning plan. He posts a wanted ad… for a house. The idea is that if the two of them move in with an older person who needs companionship, that person might leave them their house. It’s worth a shot, right? Miraculously, the two find a grouchy stubborn old man named Mr. Hartt. Will this plan work out or be a complete disaster?

False Starts by Carl Brundtland, ill. Claudia Davila

ISBN: 9781525310058

Publication Date: June 2, 2026

Graphic novel alert! For those of you aware of the comic Way Off Track, this is the companion gn. In this second installment of the series it’s the summer before 8th grade. Our heroine in this series is Nansi, and when a friend of hers doesn’t show up at the pool, Nansi finds that her friendship may be hurt by the intercessions of a mean girl. Drama! Oh, and she also gets a bit part in the summer festival and play. This is the kind of book you should turn to if you’re looking for a ton of friendship drama. Fun Fact: Author Carl Brundtland used to serve as Kid Can Press’s legal council! Heckuva switch.

Loch Ness Monster’s Unbelievable Science by Anne Appert

ISBN: 9781525312533

Publication Date: May 5, 2026

And finally, today we end with yet another graphic novel, though this one is better suited for grades 1-4. Fans of science comics may enjoy how this book helps readers discern fact from fiction, all thanks to a self-appointed expert. And who better to talk about fake news than the Loch Ness Monster itself? Ness has written a book and it’s filled with stories about why birds have the colors they do. The problem? The facts in the book aren’t true. Now it’s up to Puffin to explain how these are stories and not science. Loaded with lots of humor, this title has a timely message about science and misinformation. Consider pairing it alongside Killer Underwear Invasion.

Oh… and I was given a very quick peek at a fall release. If any of you out there are Akiko Miyakoshi fans (and really, why wouldn’t you be?) then you may be happy to see this:

Many thanks to Michaela Cornell and the team at Kids Can Press for showing me what they they have slated for this season.

The Rare Dual Cover Reveal: Mary Kay Carson Discusses Before It Was a Wildfire AND Before It Was a Hurricane!

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Today we’ve a dual delight for your enjoyment. Two nonfiction picture books are slated to be released this year by author Mary Kay Carson and illustrator Jieting Chen. These books’ topics are also uniquely suited for the day and age in which we live. On April 7th we’ll see the release of Before It Was a Hurricane and Before It Was a Wildfire is out August 25th. Best of all, I am being allowed to premiere the covers for both books on this site today AND interview Mary Kay in the course of things.

Before we get to any of that, I do need to give you a sense of these books in some way. What makes them remarkable (and unique) is that they tell their stories by going backwards in time. Or, as the description of Before It Was a Hurricane put it:

Before It Was a Hurricane starts at the peak of the action-the chaos and power of a hurricane at full strength-before stepping backward through time. Follow its four-thousand-mile journey from a hot desert breeze to the most destructive storm on Earth.

Imagine a Pinter play as an informational picture book and you’ll have a sense of what this means. Of course, Mary Kay can explain this a heckuva lot better than I can:

Betsy Bird: Mary Kay! Thank you so much for talking to me today, and congrats on your 2026 releases of BEFORE IT WAS A HURRICANE and BEFORE IT WAS A WILDFIRE! I’m always particularly interested in informational books for kids that use original methods of storytelling. The concept of beginning with the dramatic storm or wildfire and then backing it up to a place of safety is simultaneously counterintuitive and effective. Many authors would think the logical method would be to go the other way, but I can see distinct advantages to your format. Where did you get the idea to present these concepts this way?

Mary Kay Carson, photo credit: Tom Uhlman

Mary Kay Carson: I’m always on the lookout for inventive and unique book structures! Especially ones that put a new twist on topics that kids love. The idea of using reverse chronology to illuminate scientific phenomena and processes struck me while discussing Lesa Cline-Ransome’s Harriet Tubman biography, Before She Was Harriet, with my critique group. I instantly thought of hurricanes and how they progress through distinct stages, just like a human life. Why not start with what’s most exciting and familiar—the full-blown storm or raging wildfire? Kids love natural disasters for the drama, so better to present that first, harness their engagement, and then use it to sustain their attention into the how-we-got-here part. 

BB: Complex scientific concepts and picture books can work together in tandem but it requires a lot of thought and creativity on the part of the writer. Not only do these books have to explain the science in their backmatter, but for the stories themselves to make any sense at all you have to have science worked into the texts as well. What methods do you prefer when it comes to simplifying without dumbing down? And are there elements to these books that were just too complex or peripheral to include at all? 

Mary Kay: My science-writing skills grew out of my time (30+ years ago!) working on Scholastic’s elementary magazine, SuperScience. Under the tutelage of talented editors, I learned to write to a child’s experience and interests on their level. Breaking down the science into fundamental bits and then reassembling them using understandable language in a kid-friendly way is like a puzzle—frustrating, fun, and ultimately oh-so gratifying. Conveying every element of a scientific concept isn’t ideal for kids (or adults, often) as there’s always a deeper dive. It’s a matter of choosing what’s essential and then engaging kids through precise writing. My science writing toolbox? Sensory details, references/analogies that speak to young people’s own lived experiences, limited new terms defined primarily in context, using comparisons instead of incomprehensible large numbers, varying sentence lengths, etc. When I get stuck on how to convey something complicated, I study explanations by watching videos, reading books and articles aimed at everyone from toddlers to experts, and talking to whomever will tolerate my questions. After a while the essential elements reveal themselves, find a voice, become text—and are then rewritten, honed, and edited.

BB: I saw that you thanked the scientists of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in your dedication. Did you work with any of them on this book at all for research purposes? And what kind of research and sources did you yourself use?

Mary Kay: The National Hurricane Center, which collects and disseminates data and information about tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean, is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). And I used their sources to create the book’s fictitious hurricane Bret (not a coincidence that Brett Duquette is the editor!). I dedicated Before It Was a Hurricane to NOAA because they deserve a shout out of appreciation during the anti-science, anti-federal workers, anti-climate mitigation times we’re currently slogging through. It breaks my heart and darkens my soul to think of all the scientific progress lost and suffering experienced by career scientists serving the public good. I often think of the meteorologists, climate scientists, wildlife biologists, planetary scientists, and other researchers I’ve known and interviewed over the decades and worry for them. It’s a monumental and crushing loss of experience and knowledge that will adversely affect the future of those I write for.

BB: Your book’s text was paired alongside the art of Jieting Chen. Where you aware of Jieting’s work prior to this book? And what do you think about the final product? 

Jieting Chen, photo credit: Feng Xia

Mary Kay: I’d only seen Jieting Chen’s work in Ice Cycle before they became the series’ illustrator. But I can’t imagine the books without their artistic input at this point! The books have a stunning fold-out double-spread gatefold of the disaster’s climax full of Easter-egg-like objects that make appearances back through time. (Whose crumpled bike was that? When did the gray car burn up?) Each book features a parallel story, told solely through Jieting’s illustrations, of a family dealing with the disaster. Those entire narratives—who people are and how they’re related, what jobs they’re doing, how they’re preparing and rising to challenges during and before the emergency—are all masterfully conveyed through their illustrations. Jieting’s art not only illustrates, it adds layers of interaction and meaning to the book. The illustrations cleverly add information by depicting radar images on computer screens, pertinent road signs, alerts on phones, and background news broadcasts. I feel like these illustration clues accurately depict how modern humans gather information and make decisions in potentially dangerous situations. It’s brilliant! 

BB: Hurricanes and wildfires are logical ways of going with this series, but do you have future books in mind as well? And can you tell us their topics? 

Mary Kay: I’m working on Before It Was a Tornado right now! It has a 2027 release date. And I’ve tons of other books in mind for the series. Not just other natural disasters (volcanoes, earthquakes) but life science (metamorphosis, forest succession) and earth science (rocks, fossils, black holes, solar systems) topics. Even stars are born, live, fade, and die. As they say, change is the only constant. To my mind, a reverse chronology structure gives a fresh perspective. By hooking readers right away, a reverse chronology structure fuels reader interest in discovering the steps that created the result. That can encourage critical thinking, stimulate creativity, and promote new ways of understanding familiar topics. Instead of wondering what’s next, readers will want to know what happened before! 

BB: Excellent! And finally, what else are you working on? What’s next?

Mary Kay: Over the past two decades I’ve nearly always been working on a Scientists in the Field book. (My photographer husband Tom Uhlman and I collaborated on seven titles in the middle-grade series.) But as I understand, HarperCollins/Clarion is no longer actively acquiring new titles for the series. And while I so loved researching and writing those books, tastes change. Young people have many more choices when looking for information these days. Books aren’t the only way to learn. For me, the big question of the moment in informational books is: Why is this a book? What does a book uniquely bring to a topic or provide a reader with compared to other types of informational media? These are the types of books I’m interested in writing. Figuring out the particulars is what’s next for me. Fingers crossed!

I’ve nothing but thanks to offer to Mary Kay for so carefully answering my questions here today. So now, as promised, here are the covers of her upcoming books!

Brilliant notions for brilliant books. Huge thanks to Mary Kay for answering all my questions today. Thanks too to Amy Goppert and the team at Little Bee Books for helping to put all of this together! Before It Was a Hurricane is out April 7th and Before It Was a Wildfire is out August 25th.

Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour: A Talk with Laura Gehl and Alexandra Colombo About My Body Can

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I am pleased to announce that once again I am participating in the Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour happening all this week (with a full roster of participants happening here). That means getting a chance to speak with one of the winners of the Sydney Taylor Award, which is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience.

Each site on the blog tour gets to interview a different author/illustrator team about their winner. My title is the picture book Honor winner My Body Can by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Alexandra Colombo. Today, we’re talking with the creators about their win and about the book itself.

Betsy Bird: Laura! Congratulations on your Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor! We’ll get into your book in question in a moment here, but you know that everyone wants to hear about how you got “the call”. Where were you and what was it like?

Laura Gehl: I was in the middle of dinner with my family. I don’t usually answer calls from unknown numbers, especially during dinner, but I saw a Chicago area code, and one of my sons goes to the University of Chicago. I thought it might be some kind of kid-related emergency, so I picked up. Needless to say, it was much better news! Getting to hear from the committee members exactly what they loved about MY BODY CAN was affirming and marvelous.

BB: And Alexandra! Congratulations to you too on this Sydney Taylor Honor win! How did you hear about receiving this award? And what was your reaction?

Alexandra Columbo: Melanie Koss called me to inform me of the award, but since I don’t speak very good English, I asked her if she could explain it to me in more detail via email.  At first I couldn’t believe it, but when I realized what it meant I was very excited.

BB: That’s lovely! So, Laura, tell us a little bit about how MY BODY CAN came to be. Where did it come from and how did you get the idea for it in the first place? 

Laura Gehl

Laura: I think MY BODY CAN germinated from the convergence of two different threads in my life. As a mom, I’ve always wanted my four kids to feel good about their bodies, and I’ve thought (AKA worried) extensively about how to encourage this. That was the first thread. The second thread was that I watched my mom become ill and need a wheelchair. That experience left me with a lot of gratitude for everything my own body can do, and for all the things that my mom and I could still do together. I remember us going exploring in Maine. My mom was in her wheelchair, and I was walking. We went down various country roads, and we found a little store selling blueberries and ice cream. We talked, and ate, and laughed. I was so thankful that we could do all those things together despite her illness.

BB: And Alexandra, tell us a little bit about your decision to work on MY BODY CAN. What was it about the book that appealed to you?

Alexandra: What struck me most about “My Body Can” was the powerful and important message that, no matter how healthy your body is, with the strength of your emotions and willpower, you can do so many things.

BB: MY BODY CAN is one of those titles that I often consider to be one of the most difficult to write. You have to teach without being didactic, using a minimal number of words. Laura, was this the kind of book that you figured out instantly or did it take a couple of drafts before you got it just right? And what was the editing process like?

Laura: I appreciate you saying that, because I think many people see a book like this and think it is easy to write! I definitely went through a LOT of drafts. As far as the editing process, the draft that I sold to Apples & Honey had a number of Jewish holidays, but not as many as appear in the published book. That draft also had a few spreads devoted to negative things that happen with all of our bodies—like getting hurt, and crying—and how we can recover from those things, and help each other recover. In working with my editor, Rabbi Debbie Bodin Cohen (who is also a wonderful picture book author herself), we added in more Jewish holidays, and we decided to keep the whole book on a positive note.

BB: And Alexandra, did you work with Laura at all on getting the images of the book just right or did you work more with the Art Director for this title?

Alexandra Colombo

Alexandra: I worked with both Laura and the art director Debbie, both on the study of the book’s characters and on the various internal scenes. Their advice and suggestions were truly helpful, and it was a great team effort.

BB: Laura, the idea to tie the different uses of different kinds of bodies in with Jewish holidays, but without specifically naming those holidays in the text, is incredibly interesting. Was there a point at which you named them and then took that part of the book away or was it always a series of unnamed holidays?

Laura: No, the holidays were always unnamed. My favorite picture books are those where the art is essential to understanding the whole story, and that was the goal with this book. Isn’t it amazing that if you just heard the words of this story, you wouldn’t know it was a Jewish book at all? I also hope that leaving the holidays unnamed makes MY BODY CAN feel personal and relevant to every kid who reads it, including kids who are not Jewish and Jewish kids who don’t celebrate all of these holidays. Yes, the kids in the book are Jewish, and we see them celebrating Jewish holidays. But from building to dancing to hide and seek, the actions of the characters are universal actions that any kid of any religion or culture might undertake.

BB: Turning the question to Alexandra now, how did you decide what aspects to highlight and what parts of the holidays to show when you did the art for this book?

Alexandra: As for the scenes of the various Jewish holidays, Laura and Debbie advised me on which details to represent. They also sent me reference images to help me better understand the scenes and represent them as best as possible.

BB: Laura, were you aware of the work of Alexandra Colombo before you wrote the book? What do you think about the final product?

Laura: No, I wasn’t familiar with Alexandra’s work before, but her illustrations in MY BODY CAN are absolutely delightful. I particularly love all the details she added that enhance the reading experience, such as the charming outfits she gave the kids, the pets that appear on several spreads, and the stuffed animals that turn up again and again.

BB: Alexandra, can you tell us a little bit about how you came to make the art? Is there some mixed media in there? Or is it entirely digital? 

Alexandra: The images were created entirely digitally with Photoshop and its brushes which reproduce the various mixed techniques, pastels, chalks etc.

BB: Finally, and this is to both of you, I can see you have some other books on the horizon. What titles can we look forward to seeing from you?

Laura: I have three board books coming out this spring!

ODD BUGS (Abrams), illustrated by Gareth Lucas, joins ODD BEASTS and ODD BIRDS in the Curious Critters series. Researching the very weirdest insects in the world for this book brought me a lot of joy.

Starting off a new series with Barefoot Books, BUNNIES KNOW AND GROW and PUPPIES KNOW AND GROW, illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford, will be available in both English and bilingual English/Spanish editions. These books are designed to help young readers understand what animals know how to do from the moment they are born (a lot!), and what they learn how to do in their first few weeks and months of life.

I also have a new Jewish picture book coming out in May with Rocky Pond Books/Penguin Random House. BECCA AND BUBBE’S BUCKET LIST, illustrated by Sarah Lynn Baker, is filled with all the joys of summer and grandmothers. Everyone who knows me knows how much I love ice cream, and BECCA AND BUBBE’S BUCKET LIST starts and ends at an ice cream shop!

I’ll finish by saying that the illustrations in all four of these books are truly spectacular, and I hope everyone reading this will check them out!  Thank you so much for interviewing me, Betsy!

Alexandra: I’m currently working on 4 American books, 

“Can Mud Be That?!”

“Freddy, the Happiest Penguin”

“Too Many Chickens”

“Andy and his big question”

And 4 English Scholastic books.

In addition I would like to thank my agency, Bright Agency, for giving me the opportunity to create this book, the publishing house, and the author for choosing me for this project. The book is dedicated to a dear friend of mine, Ines, who inspired me the colors and drawings. Ines had been living with a prosthetic leg and was in a wheelchair for 15 years due to a serious illness. Ines taught me that there are no obstacles, despite the limitations the body may have. With willpower, positivity, love, and respect for life, she lived a life of warmth, courage, and hope.  And these are exactly the values ​​I hope this book will pass to all the children and parents who read it. Thank you so much.

Big time thanks to both Laura and Alexandra for taking the time to answer my questions here today. My Body Can is, of course, available wherever good books are sold. Thanks too to Talya Sokoll and the team behind the Sydney Taylor Book Award Tour for setting this up. You can follow along with the other winners here, if you’re curious.

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

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Sooo… I had a bit of a mix-up.

In my defense, I had my reasons. Anyone who is familiar with the Children’s Literature Association Phoenix Awards may be aware that they reward children’s books that didn’t receive major awards when they first came out, but 20 years later they have now. And Not a Box by Antoinette Portis is the most recent winner of the 2026 Phoenix Picture Book Award. Pretty cool, right? So I figured it would be an ideal book to do with Kate this week… without … checking….. the pub date. Yeah. Turns out, Not a Box came out in 2007, not 2006. So, technically, we are breaking our 20 year rule. But only because I trusted the Phoenix Picture Book Award committee to also do their homework. I’m sure they had their reasons. I just should have done my own home work as well. Good thing it’s a fascinating book.

Listen to the whole show here on Soundcloud or download it through iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play, PlayerFM, Audible, Amazon Music, or your preferred method of podcast selection.

Show Notes:

As I mention in the podcast, when my niece was quite young I gave her a copy of the sequel to this book, Not a Stick, and she just laughed and laughed and laughed. Something about the title struck her as exceedingly funny. I just loved that about her.

“The ‘tude!” You haven’t lived until you hear Kate read this book in her Mean Girl voice. Failing that, we should get Rachel McAdams, the original Regina George, to record the audiobook.

And yet, somehow, even though we’re fairly certain this is all in the bunny’s brain, its ears are still managing to move in the imaginary wind in this shot.

Now here, we cannot support the bunny in its work here. Water is, of course, the antithesis of all things cardboard. We recommend the middle grade graphic novels Cardboard by Doug TenNapel and Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell if you’re particularly cardboard inclined.

As Kate points out, “The bunny kinda lost the thread on that one.” Because four “Nots” is a quadruple negative. Then again… it kind of really is a box, isn’t it? So this isn’t technically wrong.

Who sat it better?

Kate Recommends: Season 4 of Bridgerton, now streaming on Netflix

Betsy Recommends: Ford v. Ferrari, now streaming on Netflix. And, for the record, the Welsh ARE considered British, KATE!!

Publisher Spotlight Spring/Summer 2026 Preview (Part Two)

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If you know me then you know the drill. Ellen Myrick comes to me from Publisher Spotlight and shows me a SLEW of books coming out from a whole chunk of small publishers in the near future. I let you folks, in turn, take a gander at them (and I gather some images along the way, which is always helpful when I’m doing my year end lists). Today, we’ve about five different publishers all vying for your attention. Let us see what strikes your fancy…

Home Away From Home by Nazneen Akbarim, ill. Rashin Kheiriyeh

ISBN: 9798888598962

Publication Date: February 3, 2026

Oman. Not a country that appears in that many books for kids. Of course there was the truly charming The Turtle of Oman by Naomi Shihab Nye, but that was a middle grade novel. Home Away From Home has the distinction of being a picture book through and through. In this tale, girl is visiting her grandmother in Oman for the summer. The problem? She’s left her beloved doll behind at home. There’s only one thing to do then: Find a new one at the souk. Nazneen Akbari works for the U.S. Department of State (which must feel a little fraught right now) and has carefully researched everything. Fantastic backmatter appropriate for kids to read including further information about Oman, the historic Muttrah Souk featured, henna (it’s not just an Indian thing), and an Arabic glossary.

When I Grow Up I Want to Be a Chair by Ryan Rae Harbuck, ill. Barry Lee

ISBN: 9798888599051

Publication Date: April 7, 2026

The path to publication for this book is fairly straightforward. In 2022 author Ryan Rae Harbuck published the memoir When I Grow Up I Want to Be a Chair. Now she’s taken a logical next step and turned aspects of that book into a title for younger kids. This is a book unafraid to delve into the complicated relationship that a kid in a wheelchair has with their chair. In this story Vo is thinking about her future and knows that she doesn’t want a boring job. She wants to be…a chair! Her chair makes a huge difference in her life, and she wants to do the same!. Logical. Endnotes feature a note from the author, more info on Vo’s chair, and instructions on how to create a vision board (!).

America’s Founding Myths by Christy Mihaly, ill. Marta Sevilla

ISBN: 9798888599082

Publication Date: May 26, 2026

Publishers have a problem in 2026. Have you noticed? The Sesquicentennial (America’s 250th anniversary) is happening in 2026 and on the one hand they wan to celebrate it. On the other hand, have you seen who the president is right now? With that in mind, authors and illustrators are having to be quite creative. That’s where America’s Founding Myths comes in. It takes our best known stories and then plugs in some facts. You think you know these stories, but do you really? Best of all, this title not only tackles our complex founding, but encourages media literacy by empowering young people to ask questions and check sources. And really, what could be more American than that?

How to Build a Human by Scott Goldie, ill. Gustavo Bernado

ISBN: 9781835694633

Publication Date: January 6, 2026

One of my favorite books to read to my kids when they were a little younger was the graphic novel Human Body Theater by Maris Wicks. It’s so good, in fact, that one is tempted to wonder why there aren’t more books out there where parts of the human body talk and chat with big goofy eyeballs. Happily, a new title here seems to fill that readalike gap for me. Considered graphic nonfiction, the book certainly errs a little more on the informational side of things rather than the comics side, but that’s all right. It’s still fun and appealing to kids. Look for other books in this series to be coming soon.

The Story Bridge by Richard O’Neill, ill. Raquel Martín​

ISBN: 9781835322420

Publication Date: May 15, 2026

There’s been a significant uptick in the number of picture books to come out in the last few years from the Romani or Traveler community. Romani storyteller Richard O’Neill tells the tale of two small towns, on opposite banks of the same river, who want nothing to do with each other…until a group of Traveling craftspeople arrive and things begin to change.​The community life of the Traveler community is on display as the story delves into how two small towns might learn how to talk to one another.

Shoes: A Footwear by Anna Davies, ill. Daisy Wynter

ISBN: 9781800660571

Publication Date: May 5, 2026

I can’t quite decide if this is the most abject pander to adult buyers I’ve ever seen or the cleverest understanding of a universal appreciation for footwear. This book examines shoes throughout time and around the world. It’s a lot of women’s shoes, sure, but it also includes men’s as well. What’s that? You want to know if the book covers shoes of the future? Of COURSE it does! Did you ever have any doubt?

Finding Life by Sophie Williams

ISBN: 9781800660540​

Publication Date: March 3, 2026

Boy, I hope you like timelines, because this book is chock full of them. What’s a new method for teaching kids about different historical periods? How about utilizing the good old seek-and-find method? In this book, you’re trying to find different objects in different periods. The book starts with the beginnings of life in the precambrian period and then goes all the way to the present. ​Gotta love those colors too. They really pop off the page!

My Butterfly Secret by Mahesh Pathirathna, ill. Evi Shelvia

ISBN: 9781954354456

Publication Date: May 5, 2026

Moral ambiguity in a picture book package… with butterflies! What more could you want? The story in this particular book focuses on a South American community where the economy is based on capturing butterflies to send to collectors. Honestly, it’s the only way to make good money. When a child becomes sad about ending the butterflies’ lives they decide to come up with another way to feed scientific curiosity but not compromise the butterflies’ lives. Essentially, this is an environmental and economy story with a lot more depth than you might usually find in fare of this sort.

That’s all we have in store for you today! If you’re curious about the previous preview, you can read up on it here. And big thanks to Ellen Myrick for showing me all these keen titles!

Publisher Preview: Red Comet Press (Spring & Fall 2026)

by

And another!

There’s really no wrong time to peer into the crystal ball and look at the children’s books of the near and distant future. Red Comet Press showed me a huge line-up of future titles. So much so that I couldn’t fit absolutely everything in. Here are some highlights, then, to whet your whistle for the months ahead (and restore your faith in humanity in general):

Spring 2026

What Do You Do When Your Dog Grows Old a poem by Jackie Short, ill. Lucy Pickett

ISBN: 9781636551715

Publication Date: March 10, 2026

It’s like I always say: You can never have too many dead dog books in a single library. And by “dead dog books” I actually mean “books that help your children prepare for the upcoming death of a beloved pet”. Written by a breeder of German Shepherds, this book asks people to reflect on their companionship with the pals in their lives. It’s a small trim size (much like The Tenth Good Thing About Barney) so it’ll be nice and gift-y when the time is right and you know someone needs it. Consider it akin to a sympathy card with a little more heft.

Time for Haiku: Four Seasons of Poems by Josep Santaeulàlia, ill. Luciano Lozano, translated by Lawrence Schimel

ISBN: 9781636551739

Publication Date: March 3, 2026

Oh, the poetry of 2026 is coming in HOT! This book just acquired a nice review in PW too. With its distinct Japanese-influenced style of art alongside the haiku, this is a wonderful introduction to kids about that particular kind of poetry. Red Comet Press utterly fell for this book in Bologna and had to have it. Once you read it for yourself, you’ll understand why.

An Invisible River to Cross by Taraneh Matloob, ill. Kristen Balouch

ISBN: 9781636551449

Publication Date: March 10, 2026

If Taraneh’s name is familiar, that might be because she was the author of another book from Red Comet (Dear New Friend about a Persian kid inviting a friend to visit their home). Taraneh is a professor of children’s literature and lives in Cedar Falls, IA . Her path to publication is also one that almost never happens. By all accounts, she came to the Red Comet booth at ALA and asked if they were accepting unsolicited manuscripts. In her latest book, we follow a girl named Afsi, newly arrived in America. Her name means “folktale” and she’s accompanied by an imaginary dragon that gives her some courage when she needs it. The river she needs to cross? The English language. It doesn’t come easily to her and she gets very dispirited about it. Fortunately, there are new friends to help along the way. And isn’t that art fantastic? It reminded me of When Sophie Gets Angry… Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang.

Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen, ill. Violeta Encarnación

ISBN: 9781636551920

Publication Date: March 31, 2026

Isn’t that cover just jaw-dropping? This is a complex idea. We begin in the past when a girl is interned in a Japanese internment camp. Then the book at the middle goes backwards and it’s the present day with a Latino girl now in the same facility. Aside from being VERY topical, the book is a reverso title of sorts (making it the third I’ve seen in 2026 so far). And while it might strike you at first as a picture book, they’re going to market this title to the 8-12 age group because it’s pretty intense. Mia, the author, is Japanese and Chinese-American, while Violeta Encarnación is Cuban-American.

The Shy Book by Howard Pearlstein, ill. James Monro

ISBN: 9781636551883

Publication Date: April 14, 2026

The Worried Book by Howard Pearlstein, ill. James Munro

ISBN: 9781636551982

Publication Date: April 14, 2026

The first two of four books. I hope you’re into meta titles because this series leans HARD into busting down that fourth wall. Which is to say, it enjoys talking directly to the reader. Each book in the series is about an emotion that the book itself exhibits. In the end, these books are meant to help young readers to break down the anxiety of dealing with their own emotions, with some advice on handling your own feelings. For school counselors this will be a brilliant book to use (and teachers too!). It’s like it was tailor-made for those children who have intense feelings.

Tova’s Sweet Solution by Melissa Taylor, ill. Aurelie Lise-Anne

ISBN: 9781636551906

Publication Date: April 21, 2026

This is the Imagination Soup blogger’s first book and the focus is squarely on having a food allergy. Now Melissa could have included a whole host of food-related allergies into the text, but she’s opted to make the book a little more universal by inventing the allergy found here. Since the story is about a family of bear bakers, young Tova is allergic to the ingredient “honeygrain”. It’s Tova’s little friend the squirrel who comes up with a substitution that can be used in baked goods instead. A book about solving problems through creativity.

The White Raven by Kathryn Otoshi

ISBN: 9781636551944

Publication Date: May 5, 2026

Interestingly, this book was originally named “The White Crow”. Quintessentially Otoshi, this story is all about emotional literacy and developing empathy for other people and creatures in the world. It’s plot focuses on a bird born with leucism, a condition that is similar to, but not the same as, albinism. Now if you look at some of the sample pages of art here, you’ll notice the book’s use of negative space in its images, allowing you to seek and find as you go through.

What Do We Do In Preschool by Kathryn Wanless

ISBN: 9781636551630

Publication Date: June 9, 2026

As I’ve been quick to learn over the years, we’re always in need of very simple books for the youngest of children. In this particular title, there are three sections about what happens when you go to preschool, told in rhyme. We wash our hands, say hello, “and all too soon… it’s time to go.” The whole idea is to set up expectations while lowering anxiety. It is also written by a preschool art teacher who really wished that she had this book to use in her classroom since it fills a need. Interestingly, it’s already gotten a starred review from SLJ VERY early!

In This Classroom by Andrew Hacket, ill. Arthur Lin

ISBN: 9781636551814

Publication Date: June 9, 2026

Speaking of teachers writing books to fill gaps, Andrew is a 3rd grade teacher in Massachusetts. For his book, he wanted to discuss how, at the beginning of the year, you can create a manifesto of common values that your class can embrace. This title does precisely that, even allowing the option to stop periodically and revisit this book throughout the year to see where you are. At the beginning there’s a note to students and at the end a note to teachers on how to use this book.

Fall 2026

One Little Fishing Boat by Brooke Hartman, ill. John Joseph

ISBN: 9781636552040

Publication Date: August 18, 2026

Since this author/illustrator duo did the book All Aboard the Alaska Train (which has done well) it only made sense to pair them together again with this fun readaloud. While their previous book looked at all the animals you can see on land, this one is very watery in comparison. In it, a family goes on a boating trip to catch some fish, and the pages show all the animals that you would see in the ocean. With a bubbly, lilting, rhyming text, you meet puffins, otters, beluga whales, and orca whales. It’s cumulative and involves some light peril with the weather. Not to spoil anything, but the family survives and gets some salmon in the end (yum!). Backmatter includes info on fishing traditions, marine life, and sustainable practices.

I Am a Leaf by Angelo Mozzillo, ill. Marianna Balducci, translated by Denise Muir

ISBN: 9781636552026

Publication Date: September 1, 2026

This particular book is about how emotions change like a leaf in the wind. In the art, though, you’ll just find this BEAUTIFUL photography of leaves mixed with drawings. As you can see, the book incorporates the leaves into the art. In my favorite sequence, I love watching the kid moving like the leaves on the page. I particularly enjoy it when photography gets used in this way too. The creators live in Milan and this is their first book in English.

The Voice of the Snow! by Yuko Ohnari, ill. Koshiro Hata, translated by Emily Balistrieri

ISBN: 9781636552033

Publication Date: September 22, 2026

Who out there was a big fan of 2025’s surprise runaway picture book hit Downpour? Well, the creators are back and this time the story is about that white flaky stuff that falls from the sky. Less onomatopoeic than its predecessor (snow’s just not quite as loud), when a boy wakes up and finds a snowy morning outside he can’t wait to get wrapped up in it. Wearing a red coat (like Peter from The Snowy Day), the story is a multi-sensory journey. It also explores a child’s connection through nature through sound. What’s magical about this one is that the snow listens back. It’s a moment for mindfulness and wonder and stillness. And fun! It’ll be perfect for storytimes and slowing down to notice the world.

Run. Sing. Dream. by Linda Sue Park, ill. Nik Henderson

ISBN: 9781636551760

Publication Date: October 6, 2026

The art in this book is pretty genius, and I think you’ll agree. Coming to us from one of our favorite Newbery winners, this is a book that honors acts of bravery. It’s not all showy public resistance, though. I think what makes it so unique is that it turns the conversation around and shows us that this is ALL the things that you can do to protest, from singing to speaking to marching. It’s a book about activism but there are many ways to be an activist. They only use first names in the text (as you can see) so they have a nice amount of backmatter to explain who everyone is. Short bios of each of the people featured are in there as well. This is a good year for it.

Fried Rice Surprise by Patricia Tanumihardja, ill. Shiho Pate

ISBN: 9781636551838

Publication Date: October 20, 2026

Ramen for Everyone was this author/illustrator’s previous book, and this is sort of its sequel. It’s about a girl who loves her mom’s fried rice. When her mom tells her and her friends that you can put anything in fried rice, her friends are given the opportunity to contribute to a communal dish. Everyone gives something small and personal. The art just explodes off the page, as you can clearly see. They all share the dish they made together at the end. A flavorable creation in multiple ways.

And that’s it for the day!

Huge thanks to Angus Yuen-Killick for taking the time to show all of these to me. There are too many beauties here to count. It’s clearly going to be a VERY good 2026!