Door’s Open! A Cover Reveal and Q&A with Mel Rosenberg on Emily Saw a Door

Door’s Open! A Cover Reveal and Q&A with Mel Rosenberg on Emily Saw a Door

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Sometimes I find myself in front of a group of children within my capacity as an author. Inevitably, sometimes because I bring it up and sometimes because they do, the dreaded question, “What advice can you give to young writers?,” arises. And the advice that I like to give… well, it probably isn’t necessarily what the adults in the room want to hear. Because as someone who came to writing a bit later in life, part of what I adore about the children’s book world is that anyone can be a writer pretty much anytime. You can be 20. Or 40. Or 74, for crying out loud. So I tell the kids that they needn’t stress it too much. If you want to write, do it. And if you want to put it off for a little while? That’s okay too.

Mel Rosenberg gets what I’m saying. Here’s a man with his first picture book coming out in 2026 (Emily Saw a Door, out February 24th with Random House Studio) but you probably know him best as the host of the Children’s Literature Channel on the New Books Network. Now he’s switched tracks and I wanted to know why. Turns out, his path to publication is entirely and utterly unique.

In terms of the book itself, the publisher describes it this way:

“Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
It’s me, Emily. May I come in?

And so begins Emily’s search for a door that will open. The first door is blue, and the voice behind the door tells Emily that she doesn’t sound very bluish. The second door says it only opens for tigers, crocodiles, and snakes. But she is a girl named Emily– and the animals are hungry–and so she moves on. The third is only for people who speak very quietly, and the door can hear Emily.

Finally, Emily comes to a place without a door. She gets out her chalk and draws one, then adds a doorknob, and goes right in. And when someone knocks on her door, she says, “The door is open!”

[Okay, I don’t usually say this, but even though this is a perfectly decent description, Mel’s book is a hella lot better than this makes it sound. Trust me on this.]

We chat! We kvetch! We reveal covers! Here he is:

Betsy Bird: Mel! What a turn of events! Usually you interview me about my books. Now, in a switch of fortunes, I get to interview YOU about EMILY SAW A DOOR and I couldn’t be more pleased. This is your very first picture book and it is, and I mean this sincerely, beautiful. I always tell kids that the thing I love about children’s literature is that there’s no deadline. You can become an author whenever you choose. So tell us why you wrote this picture book now in your life?

Mel Rosenberg, photo credit: Rafi Michaeli

Mel Rosenberg: Thanks so much, Betsy, for your kind words, and for all that you do to promote children’s literature. EMILY SAW A DOOR is my first traditionally-published book. And yes, it did take me most of my life to ‘break in.’ I will be 74 when the book comes out in North America in February!

 BB: And on a bit of a related note, where did THIS particular book come from? After all, doors hold a special fascination for more than just children. What’s EMILY’s origin story?

Mel: The story originated when I saw a sign on a carousel ‘banning’ children who were not tall enough. I thought how cruel and unfair that was. And then I thought about all the times I was rejected in my life. Including as a writer. How did the doors get involved? I initially wrote the story in a long narrow room that had about ten doors. That must have been it.

 BB: Ah! That reminds me of You Must Be This Tall by Steven Weinberg. Your book is far more metaphorical, though. So tell us a little bit about your path to publication. For so many people it seems like an unattainable dream. What was the process that brought this book to life?

Mel: Ten years ago I attended the annual SCBWI meeting in New York. It was a real eye-opener and ego cruncher. I realized that although I had been writing since my early twenties, my stories were not good enough. But I also learned that there was a roadmap for improving one’s craft and wonderful people who were willing to help and support the journey.

I knew that the odds of publication were very slim so I tried to focus on the writing itself. Workshops, critique groups, swapping manuscripts, reading, entering contests, studying with incredible mentors (Harold Underdown and Mike Malbrough in particular). Still, my stories kept on getting rejected. I thought of giving up with each pass. But giving up only reduces your odds from slim to zero. So I kept on writing. Submitting. And trying to interest anyone who would listen.

In 2021, I started a collaboration with the New Books Network and created the “Children’s Literature Channel.” I’ve since interviewed almost 200 kidlit professionals (including you, twice!). This taught me a lot about children’s publishing, and also increased my visibility within the community.

In 2022, Yotam Shwimmer, the editor-in-chief of Tal-May, agreed to look at several of my stories. Yotam and the publisher, Meira Firon, fell in love with Emily and offered to publish the book in Hebrew. It ended up winning several awards.

I sent the English version (with Orit Magia’s incredible illustrations) to several agents in the US. Liza Fleissig (Liza Royce Associates) loved Emily and promptly sold the rights to Annie Kelley (Random House Studio). Liza and her partner Ginger Harris are now my amazing agents. And Annie Kelley is wonderful.

So yes, it has been quite a journey. I feel incredibly fortunate to have come this far.

BB: My husband has a saying about how when you “break into the business” they call it that because whatever method you used, they’ll seal up the hole so no one else can get in that way. I very much like hearing how you did it. And what I love about EMILY SAW A DOOR, the book itself, is that it imparts wisdom without didacticism. There’s a message here but it’s subtle. Tell us a bit about the editing process. How much does this final product look like the original draft you handed to your editor?

Mel: The basic manuscript remained more-or-less intact, but what changed were two crucial beats in the story. The first was when Emily trudges along dejectedly until she decides to seize the initiative. The second is the story ending itself. In both cases, editors identified ‘what needed fixing,’ and left me to sweat it out. I’m deeply grateful, as the story ended up much improved.

 BB: I often tell authors that they must have made small offerings to the illustration gods to get a good artist for their books. In this case you got Orit Magia and I honestly believe that no one could have been a better fit. Were you aware of Orit’s work at all before this title? How do you feel about the final product?

Mel: That was all Yotam’s doing. He showed Orit Magia the manuscript and she promptly agreed to illustrate it. The rest, like her name, is pure magic. Orit’s Emily is an empathy magnet. The most beautiful illustration in the book was totally her idea, not mine. Ironically, that is the double spread I’m most proud of.

So, how do I feel about the final product? To quote Frank Loesser, ‘If I were a bell I’d be ringing…”

BB: I have to ask this because I’m massively curious: What is the most interesting door you personally ever walked through?

Mel: That would be the door which led me, as a young scientist, to pursue a career studying bad breath.

 BB: Oh. Well done. Best possible answer (and there’s a picture book in that, you know). Finally, what’s next for you? More books? Other projects? Let us know!

Mel: My next book will be published here in Hebrew by Tal-May. It’s the story of a girl who is not at all like Emily, and yet…

I also have several manuscripts on submission in North America and the UK.

I remain passionate about storytelling, and hope to continue to write for as long as I can.  

I think it’s just about time to reveal Mel’s cover now, wouldn’t you agree?

Huge thanks to Mel for suggesting this interview + Q&A and for answering all my questions today. Emily Saw a Door, as I mentioned before, is out February 24th. Look for it then!

Clue Meets Knives Out: A Tontine Caper Interview with Dianne Salerni

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Do you have any idea how difficult it is to write a mystery? Any mystery. I don’t just mean following in the footsteps of Agatha Christie or anything like that. I mean mystery easy books, graphic novels, picture books, YA novels, you name it! It’s hard, man. I feel like a person needs to have a particular knack for the genre. Every year I look at the books nominated for the Edgar Awards in the young person’s category and every year I’m a bit shamefaced to admit that I just don’t know most mentioned.

This year, however, may be different. You see, when I spotted the fact that Dianne Salerni had a new novel out, and a mystery novel at that, I was instantly intrigued. Salerni was responsible for one of my favorite novels for kids in 2023, The Carrefour Curse. This book undoubtedly would have less time travel and magical powers in it, but there was a fair chance that it might also have a creaky old house, duplicitous grandfathers, secrets, lies, and a focus on family. Turns out, I was right. So, naturally, I wanted to talk to Dianne about it.

Here’s the plot description of The Tontine Caper (out now) from the publisher, in case you’re curious:

Clue meets Knives Out for the younger set in this twisty-turny middle grade mystery-comedy with dry humor, impeccable plotting, and fun interactive bonus content.

Eleven-year-old orphan Nico Lombardi has been unfairly indentured at a remote mountain inn for five years now. 

Just as he gathers the courage to escape, the inn gets booked by the remaining members of a “tontine,” an investment scheme where a cash prize is awarded to whomever lives the longest. In other words, every guest wants access to the fortune. Preferably as soon as possible.

During their stay, a chaotic race to control the fate of the tontine takes over the normally sleepy inn. Nico watches in horror as a series of comically disastrous events unfolds—some of which might aid his escape, and some of which might get him in big trouble. Before he can even put the right clues together, three unexpected revelations change the course of everyone’s future!

Arch humor and an incredible cast of strange and calculating characters keep the pages turning in this Wes Anderson-esque mystery filled with funny mishaps and misunderstandings.

With illustrations, a hotel map, character dossiers, a personality quiz, and a test to see how YOU would fare in a tontine caper, this read is perfect for fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and The 39 Clues series.

Betsy Bird: Dianne! Such a delight to speak with you today. Your middle grade novel THE CARREFOUR CURSE, was such a huge hit amongst my librarians. Now you’ve returned with a middle grade novel that has all the hallmarks of a mystery at its core. Tell us a little bit about where THE TONTINE CAPER came from.

Dianne Salerni

Dianne Salerni: It was early 2019, and I was on pins and needles waiting to hear about a revise & resubmit manuscript that my agent had recently sent to an editor. I needed a distraction and a project ASAP! Late one night, while my husband was watching an episode of Archer that featured a tontine, I thought, What if I wrote a quirky mystery that featured a tontine? The setting … well, I almost always defer to the Poconos Mountains when a story can be set anywhere. It’s one of my favorite places to be! A quick search demonstrated that tontines were banned in the US by 1906, so the story had to take place before that. The wheels started turning, and I ended up with THE TONTINE CAPER.

BB: And tontines are just so friggin’ cool too. I was inordinately grateful too that you mentioned the tontine-related episode of The Simpsons at the end of your book. How did you, personally, first hear about tontines and what inspired you to put one in your book?

Dianne: When I was growing up in the 1970s, television was full of warnings about the dangers I would face in adulthood. For example:

  1. quicksand—don’t struggle, float on your back!
  2. piranha-infested waters—always carry a slab of meet to toss into unknown rivers
  3. the Bermuda Triangle, and
  4. tontines! Never, never bury a treasure with a group of friends, intending that the last one of you alive will come back to claim it. Not unless you want to get murdered by your so-called friends. Tontines appeared in The Wild, Wild West, Diagnosis Murder, and M*A*S*H—although that one ended sweetly. This book is a salute to the tontine dangers of my childhood TV shows.

BB: No notes. I would only add that falling into cracks in the ground when there’s been an earthquake would also fit on your list. Getting back to your book, it’s a mystery of sorts, but not in the classic Agatha Christie sense. Instead of building to a final denouement, little secrets are leaking continually throughout the text. Was this a particularly hard book to write? After all, you need a strong sense of continuity to keep up with all the twists and turns. How do you, personally, keep track of everything as you write?

Dianne: The strangest thing about writing THE TONTINE CAPER is that the plot unraveled before me as if I’d dropped a ball of twine. All I had to do was follow it through the labyrinth, much like Theseus. I knew the ending from the start. That helped. The only part of the story that I had to stop and plan to the Nth degree is the first night in the Precipice Inn, where I spend 3 chapters describing the same events 3 times, from 3 different points of view. For that, I created a chart describing where all the participants were, what they were doing and at what time, and what they all would have seen and heard of each other (if anything). Once that was accomplished, the chapters were a delight to write.

BB: The art of Matt Schu was, to my mind, a godsend in this book. Not only does he capture the tone of the book with aplomb but he provides small character drawings at the beginnings of chapters so that readers like myself don’t have to keep flipping to the cast list at the beginning of the book. Were you aware of Matt’s work prior to this book? What do you think of the final product?

Dianne: I was not familiar with Matt’s work until my editor sent me a link to his website. I think we both knew immediately that he was the right artist for this book, and luckily he was available and interested! The character drawings—or “character dossiers”—were the brainchild of my editor at Holiday House, Sally Morgridge. It was her idea to include them. I was in charge of providing the text and figuring out where each one should be placed in the book. Matt created the delightful drawings, as well as deciding how to lay out the information in an eye-pleasing way. I love his artwork throughout, including the unique drawings at the start of every chapter.

BB: The book reads a bit younger than some of the other middle grade titles out there, which I also appreciated. Finding mysteries for kids that aren’t tomes or written with adults in mind can be tricky to find. Did you purposefully aim for a younger readership as you wrote this title, or did it just sort of shake out that way?

Dianne: I did plan on writing for a younger audience than usual, aging my protagonist and the other middle grade characters at 11 instead of my usual 13. When a dry-witted omniscient narrator turned up in my head wanting to tell the story (these things happen), I wondered if that voice would counteract my effort to appeal to a young reader. Then I remembered that Lemony Snicket pulled it off and decided to give it a go.

BB: Finally, can we hope for more mysteries from you in the future or is this a one-and-done kind of deal?

Dianne: I love writing mysteries and hope to produce more. I am currently toying with an idea about a heist at a museum for mystical and cursed objects. Unfortunately, this idea has not turned itself into a convenient ball of twine that I can follow with ease. This one feels more like a big knot. It’s going to take a lot of work to tease the story out of this one, but we shall see!

Great gobs of thanks to Dianne for taking all this time to talk to me today. I’m happy to report that The Tontine Caper is indeed out right now, so you needn’t wait to read it. Thanks too to Anna Abell and the folks at Holiday House for helping to put this together.

Fuse 8 n’ Kate: The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton

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The Queen of Board Books is in the house! I would argue that to be the board book king or queen, you need to work primarily in the genre of board book and board book alone. And Sandra Boynton is that queen. Fight me. Now I agree that Moo, Baa, La La La might have been a better book to do today, but don’t worry. We’ll get to it eventually. Instead, we look at one of my favorite Boyntons. It has everything! Running around! Evening exercise! Hidden pigs! We discuss the role of bedtime books for small children and whether or not it’s fair to slot this book in with titles that are solely meant to lull your child into unconsciousness.

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:

I wasn’t lying. These are brand new and, I’m sorry to report, just as amusing as you might suspect.

Dinosaur’s Wobbly Bottom

Unicorn’s Wobbly Bottom

If I have given you reason to wonder about the Going To Bed Book app, you can see it in full here.

Kate’s got a newborn and is a bit tired these days so she misread this dedication as, “For Keith Who Never Tried.” Not the actual dedication, but I think I may have to make it one of mine someday.

This pig? He’s a little apart. A little different. He’s not like other girls.

If you can fit an elephant, a lion, a moose, AND a rhino into the same tub, that’s gonna be a HUGE tub!! By our estimates, this bathtub takes up half the boat.

The visual gag of the dog and bunny having put on the wrong clothes is what makes this little book all worth it.

Is exercise right before bedtime good for you or bad for you? Don’t worry, folks. Kate did the research on the matter. Turns out, it’s okay! Just don’t make it too too strenuous.

Kate Recommends: The Great Big Tiny Design Challenge

Betsy Recommends: The Atlas Obscura podcast, episode 1053 from May 18th. Listen carefully you’ll hear… ME!

Review of the Day: The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner

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The Trouble with Heroes
By Kate Messner
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
ISBN: 9781547616398
$17.99
Ages 9-12
On shelves now

Jerks. They’re great. On the page, that is. If you’re an adult that reads loads of middle grade children’s novels on a regular basis then you might, like me, be a bit sick of the nice kids. Nice kids are the bread and butter of children’s literature. They’re good-hearted, relatable, kind, and deeply, deathly dull. They get picked on by bullies and stand up for their little sisters and generally blend together so well that you have a hard time remembering one book from another. Compare all that to Finn in The Trouble with Heroes. You know what he’s doing when we meet him? Kicking over the headstones of complete strangers in the cemetery. You know how he feels about that act? He doesn’t really feel anything at all, actually. Finn is a rage-filled young man prone to sarcasm, disdain, and a general sense of jaded ennui. He is, in short, the perfect antidote to all those perfect protagonists out there and one cannot help but think that right from the start young readers are going to be HERE for what this book is putting down.

“If I were a better kid, this story would begin with my seventh-grade diploma. Instead it starts with this…” What follows is a news clipping with the headline, “Local Cemetery Vandalized”. We learn that a kid (our protagonist, as it happens) was caught kicking over a headstone at 4:00 p.m. on a Friday. And not just any headstone either. Turns out, Finn has had the misfortune (or is it fortune?) to kick and break the headstone of Edna Grace Thomas. Edna’s a bit of a local celebrity, having not only climbed all 46 of the Adirondack High Peaks but also provided correspondence and words of encouragement to fellow hikers for decades. So when Finn is brought before her daughter, he’s given an odd opportunity. To make reparations, Finn must climb all 46 of the same peaks that Edna did. This, from a kid who has been failing gym (to say nothing of his English class). Oh, and one more thing. He’s gotta wear Edna’s old hiking boots and bring along her drooly, farty dog, Seymour. Now Finn’s climbing, sweating, snarking, and yet also observing, baking, and writing poetry ostensibly for an English class where he’s supposed to focus on the topic of what makes a hero. With a father who saved lives in 9/11 then died during COVID, Finn’s relationship with the notion of heroism is shaky at best. What makes a hero? And why are they so much trouble?

There are probably at least five good themes at work simultaneously in this book for kids, which is no easy task to maintain. Messner’s been in this game for a while, and in many ways this title is a culmination of all the hard work she’s put into the art of writing over the years. As such, the topics of grief, loving someone with addiction/PTSD issues, personal responsibility, developing a love of nature and the natural world – that’s ALL in here! Yet the theme that I particularly gravitated to the most was the central one: What makes a hero? Or, rather, when you’ve been labeled a hero, what price do you pay? This book could have been so easy for Messner. All she had to do was make Finn’s dead dad a saint, then spend the rest of the book having her protagonist struggle with what it means to be the son of a hero and what heroism means, and so on and so on, and SNORE! I’m sorry, but I’ve read that book. You have too. We don’t remember what those books’ names were either because that topic isn’t really all that interesting. You know what is interesting? A dead hero who shamed his son regularly for baking or wearing aprons or twirling for fun because it was “girly”. A guy who never spent time with his family because he was too busy helping other people. The complexity of this dead dad is a thing of beauty. It means that the reader, just like Finn, has to come around to figuring out how to think about the guy. Messner puts both Finn and the young readers through the same paces in trying to figure this guy out, and in the end it’s not like it’s a done deal. Finn comes to a place of peace but not entirely one of understanding. And that’s okay.

I want to double back a bit to what I was saying at the beginning about Finn being a jerk. There’s a lot of talk, when it comes to writing books for kids, on how to make your character likable. You, as the author, need the reader to care and invest in them. A lot of writers do the thing where the wisecracking kid immediately experiences something deeply unfair. Or, failing that, they’ll show their good heart by some selfless action. There’s just gotta be something about them that makes you like them enough to stick with them. But what did Messner do with Finn? Frankly, I couldn’t remember, so I went back to the book to try and figure it out. Partly, it comes down to voice. Finn’s snarky, sarcastic, and done with the world around him, but he’s also legitimately funny. He also owns up to his vandalism right at the start, while also alluding pretty consistently to his trauma. It’s so strange that I didn’t remember how often he mentions being broken at the beginning of the book. It could come off as whiny, but somehow the combination of petulance, hurt, and humor make you, at the very least, want to see where this kid is going. Curiosity is a powerful factor in getting a young reader to turn that next page (heck, it works on adults too, I suppose).

Did I tear up? I did tear up. I know enough of middle grade novels to know that if a character complains at length about something small and loving that is annoying them, be it younger sibling, younger cousin, or drooly dog, at some point in the proceedings that young or drooly companion is going to be placed in some kind of peril. In this case, Messner really turns the screws near the end of the book, and it doesn’t hurt that the audiobook narrator of this title cranks the acting up to 11 (more on him in a bit). So not only is this book tackling 9/11, the COVID-19 Pandemic, and a love of the outdoors and nature but it’s making you laugh and cry as well. And you’re not even annoyed with it when it succeeds. Doggone it.

A quick word of advice: I don’t know how your kid prefers to read their books, but if they are at all into audiobooks then you can’t go wrong with the read performed by Mack Gordon. Gordon perfectly captures Finn’s snide take on the world around him. Yet when those moments come when our hero is overcome by emotion, Mack Gordon somehow has this ability to make his voice crack in sorrow. Just a little. Just enough to make you, the listener, break a bit as well. Of course, because I listened to this as an audiobook, I had no idea what this book looked like visually. I didn’t know it was a verse novel for one thing. Seriously! I had no clue! Also, the way it’s laid out on the page, it’s incredibly visually appealing. Messner breaks everything up with newspaper articles, advertisements, text messages, obituaries, poems, and “Choose Your Own Disaster” sections. What’s incredible is that Mack Gordon’s read never gives you a minute’s pause. That man can read Finn’s auto-reply of “I am not lost in the woods or being stalked by a panther or getting swatted by a bear,” a hundred times and you enjoy it each time he does. It’s a remarkable adaptation of a book that must have been a heckuva schlep to adapt.

I suppose it’s a bit late in the review for me to realize that my earlier statements about the trouble with protagonists in children’s books is just a slight reworking of this book’s titular theme. The trouble with the hero in a book for kids is that they’re just so darn hard to write. All too often they fall into a prescribed type, and that type isn’t all that interesting because they’re so common. But in this book, Finn felt damaged in all the most interesting ways. And if you cut through the design of the book (which is infinitely kid-friendly and keeps the eye busy in a good way) the story at its heart is strong. How do you write a book with hope and heart and all that emotional stuff but still make it interesting to kids? The Trouble with Heroes is the answer. Homeric.

On shelves now.

Source: Galley sent from publisher for review.

Notes on the Cover: It’s a strong cover. A fine cover. But it is a cover sadly lacking in sufficient drool. Seymour looks positively pristine here. Like they gave him a bath and then posed him for this shot. More mud. More drool. But very good smile. This is clearly a good boy.

Interviews: Curious about the behind-the-scenes of this title? I did the cover reveal and a Q&A with Kate way back in September, so get a little additional info on where it came from.

Annoyingly FABULOUS Picture Books of 2025 (So Far): Picture Books Are WAY Too Good This Year and I Am Taking It As a Personal Attack

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Was it too much to ask for 2025 to be a weak picture book year?

Look, my book Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme, out as of March, is a book that has been doing really well straight out of the gate. I am delighted by its success and every time someone tells me that a kid gets a kick out of it, I grin like a fool. But it is not the only picture book out in 2025. Turns out that there are others. And there is a problem.

They. Are. Jaw-Droppingly. Good.

I feel like, this is an issue. My book should have come out in a weak picture book year. Instead, there are books out there in 2025 that are SO GOOD, I’m falling over myself to recommend them whenever I can. How fair is that? Was it too much to ask that this be a weak year for books around 32 pages in length? The straw that broke the camel’s back was reading Matthew Forsythe’s Aggie and the Ghost this past weekend. Folks, I just can’t take it anymore. 2025 is killing me.

Don’t believe me? Here is a CONSERVATIVE list of picture books out in ’25 that are so good you can rub any one of them in the face of your friends who claim kids books “aren’t what they used to be” and watch their arguments crumble into dust.

This ain’t a golden age of picture books anymore. We’ve gone platinum.

Annoyingly FABULOUS Picture Books of 2025 (So Far)…

Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe

“Aggie was very excited to live on her own, until she found out her house was haunted.” A girl and ghost odd couple tale. That’s it. THAT. IS. IT. I am sick and tired of the overwhelming AVALANCHE of incredible picture books in 2025. This is impossible and it’s going to make my final Best Book deliberations at the end of the year absolutely unimaginable. Just when you think you’ve seen all the amazing books of 2025, then you stumble on something like THIS. Friggin’ Matthew Forsythe (who, cruelest of the cruel, only ever illustrates his own picture books anymore, so I’ll never be able to even dream of getting him to do one of mine) has written a girl and ghost story that utterly destroys all other kid and ghost stories out there (by my count there are at least 4 others out this year alone). Again, his art just glows on the page. Again, he is some kind of literary genius, capable of fantastic storytelling, utilizing only the barest minimum of words. And again, he’s funny. Seriously funny. I can’t take it anymore. Stuff is just too good this year.

A Book of Maps for You by Lourdes Heuer, ill. Maxwell Eaton III

A series of maps introduces the reader to a small town, its people and places, and the new home that you are moving into. TWIST! I love me a picture book that can turn everything on its head when you get to the ending. I particularly love it when the ending has an emotional punch as well. On the outset, this just seems like a great book for those teachers that do map units with their students, since it doesn’t just cover just one kind of map, but several! There’s a maze and a pirate map and maps of streets as well as different rooms in various buildings. I could easily see a kid getting inspired by this book, making maps of their own home. But it’s that little twist at the end that makes it clear that for the person writing this book, this town was a special place. These were friends and important places. *sniff* Also, I don’t know why, but I keep focusing in my head on the advice to place your bed under the skylight so that you can see the stars at night. Aside from everything else that is SUCH a cool idea. Oh, and what a great idea to get Maxwell Eaton III to do the art. The man knows how to draw intricate maps while keeping a lot of humor and fun intact. Incredible pairing, Heuer and Eaton. Well done, oh editor that thought this up.

Broken by X. Fang

What happens when you make a mistake you cannot undo? Do you let an innocent cat take the fall or do you confess? A heartfelt and hilarious tale of guilt and unconditional love. Just another knock-out winner from Fang. The comic timing on her latest is amazing. I was reminded of a lot of other guilt-soaked picture book stories as I read this, like Penny and Her Marble. It kind of pairs well with The Playdate by Uje Brandelius, illustrated by Clara Dackenberg, and also out this year. In both cases you’ve a kid purposefully doing something wrong, only to be thoroughly distraught about it later. Still, the cat in this book is the true star of the show. Its stare is the picture book equivalent of the beating of the terrible heart in The Tell-Tale Heart. You’re gonna FEEL this one.

City Summer, Country Summer by Kiese Laymon, ill. Alexis Franklin

New York, meet Country. Sent to the country for the summer, a boy makes friends with the kids there after false starts and confusion. There’s a feeling you get when you read a picture book without thinking too much about it, only to discover that the writing is out-of-the-blue shockingly good. And it’s only heightened when you feel like you’ve gotten NO WARNING about that fact. We’ve loads of Kiese Laymon books in our adult section, but I’d admittedly not read one before. I might have to now. This story is suffused in nostalgia, but in a healthy, good way. It’s kid-friendly, yet also feels like it was plucked straight out of one of Laymon’s memoirs. And it feels REAL. Not like something that someone could just make up out of nowhere.  The art is wholly digital and for the most part it has a nice natural feel. This doesn’t feel like anything else out there to me. A true original.

Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson, ill. Dan Santat

The picture book of the year!! Oh sure, they may look innocent but those fishies in the sea? They’re up to something. An absolutely hilarious explanation of a hidden underwater threat told by an unreliable narrator. One of my favorites, no question. Sharpson’s Irish lilt works itself into the narrative in a variety of neat ways (example: “Birds are dead easy”). But what’s truly so unique about this book is the beautiful hand-in-hand collaboration between the words and images. Dan Santat is never better than when he has a text that he can play off of. In this book he doesn’t just play off of Sharpson’s wordplay. He embodies it. He’s adding all these small jokes in the details that reward multiple readings (the S.S. Minnow goes down at one point and there’s a running joke involving pancakes that I greatly appreciated). Also, have you ever wanted to see Santat illustrate an anglerfish? Your wish has been granted, my dears. Bonus: The readaloud potential of this book is incredible. The page turns! The jokes that land! The twist ending! Am I being clear enough how much I like this?

Duckie & Snaps: We Cannot Be Friends by Ame Dyckman, ill. Tim Miller

Duckie and Snaps’s eggs hatch right next to one another, convincing Duckie that they are bound to be friends. But can a croc and a duck really be buds when one of them is so delicious? MAN! What is it with the picture books these days? The funny ones are just KNOCKING it out of the park in 2025! I am always here for an Ame Dyckman book, but whatever godlike genius decided to pair her with Tim Miller ought to be making a six-figure salary or something. Tim’s wry, succinct linework is the perfect complement to Ame’s accomplished tomfoolery. First and foremost she’s a master at repetition (“Fried Duckie! Duckie Smoothie! Duckie Pie!”). The panelwork and the jokes are the kinds that adults will appreciate as much as the kids, particularly when it all comes together perfectly. I love a picture book that’s got a hilarious concept and that I’ve never really seen before. This is hitting on all cylinders.

Every Monday Mabel by Jashar Awan

Most people don’t love Mondays, but Mabel does. Why? Because something very special and exciting happens every Monday morning in this ode to garbage truck enthusiasts everywhere. Oh, I LOVE this. Seriously, I adore it. Man. I don’t think I’ve been giving Jashar Awan enough attention these last few years. This is a perfect encapsulation of what happens when someone finds that thing that they love and they then proceed to dedicate themselves to it heart, body, mind, and soul. The fact that Mabel’s family doesn’t understand her passion rings so very true, but does she care? She does not! She grabs that cereal, heads out the door, plants herself, and watches what she loves. And talk about a successful ending to the book! Five out of five stars, no notes. 

Fireworks by Matthew Burgess, ill. Cátia Chien

 On a hot summer day, two children pass their time splashing in water and munching on watermelons, waiting for the big event that night: an enormous burst of fireworks. Explosive poetry, vibrant art. Oh dang. You know, I was 85% convinced that this was a great book when I read the PDF. Then I went and read the physical copy and OH LORD! These images just explode (pardon the pun) off the page! Catia Chen has, at long last, found a text worthy of her skills. She does things with fluorescent pink that only heighten just how good this book is. And then there’s this gatefold… 100% it’s my favorite gatefold of 2025. I don’t want to speak out of turn, but this is Caldecott material right here, people. An incredible and incredibly BEAUTIFUL picture book. Just make sure you see a finished copy.

The Interpreter by Olivia Abtahi, ill. Monica Arnaldo

Can a kid have a job? Sure! Cecilia has two. There’s the job of being a kid and the job of interpreting for her parents. But what happens when one job overwhelms the other? Ye gods! What a fantastic book! Now you may not recognize it right off the bat, but that illustrator Monica Arnaldo is the same person who created Mr. S two years ago (a.k.a. The funniest picture book of its year). This book is funny too but with a remarkably serious core. The idea of a kid having an actual job (I was getting serious Bea and Mr. Jones vibes from the suits) as an interpreter to her parents is both funny and desperately serious. Author Olivia Abtahi’s tone is just absolutely on point. It has a really good message without blaming anyone. This is for all those kids overwhelmed by the adult duties they’re obligated to take on.

Island Storm by Brian Floca, ill. Sydney Smith

“Now take my hand and we’ll go see the sea before the storm.” Two children venture forth as terrifying clouds creep ever closer. Will they make it home safe in time?  Lest you forget, Brian Floca knows how to write a picture book, people. It feels like a bit of a flex that he’s so good at it that he can get someone like Sydney Smith to illustrate one of his own as well. Consider this almost the emotional opposite of Downpour by Yuko Ohnari. Where in that book the rain is comforting, here it’s a distinct threat. As a reader, you’re torn between wanting the characters to soldier on, and a desperate need for them to get back home to warmth and safety. Smith is at his finest when the storm truly does arrive, this terrifying black mass enveloping the sky, plunging the world into wet darkness. I also got a hint of Where the Wild Things Are at the end with the warmth and the comfort mom can provide. I read a lot of picture books that fade in the memory over time. I don’t think that this book is in any danger of that.

Mistaco! A Tale of Tragedy y Tortillas by Eliza Kinkz

What do you do with a bad day, chock full of mistakes? Eat it! Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes there’s a tasty solution to them.  If you know me then you know that I’m a huge fan of the art of Eliza Kinkz. Turns out, she’s just as funny a writer as she is an illustrator. This sort of takes the old Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day motif and gives it an eclectic spin. The whole concept of “eat your mistakes” is kind of fascinating from a psychological point of view too. I’d argue that it’s different from “eating your feelings” (which I fear is a thing that may be lobbed against this book). Funny from page one onward, it’s also nice to see adults in the wrong and pouting.

Our Lake by Angie Kang

Two brothers go to a lake on a hot summer’s day. The water’s far down? Not a problem. Just jump! A deeply touching story about memory, love, and taking a leap. See, this is why I like picture books as much as I do. They always have the capacity to surprise you. Looking at this cover, I’ll confess to you that my hopes weren’t particularly high. We see a lot of sweet, touching, meaningful picture books in a given year, and whole swaths of them leave me cold. The fact that this book began as a poem inspired by a Milton Avery painting titled “Quarry Brothers” is cool, but it was no guarantee of quality. And then I got to that image of the older brother under the water. He jumps off the ledge and Angie Kang just… does something with the paints. I can’t even describe it. The way she is capable of somehow drawing what bodies look like underwater… it’s incredible. I was hooked… and then we got to the heart of the book. The fact that this jump was something the boys’ dad used to do and now their dad is gone? And just as I’m dealing with that (emotionally) we get this shot of the younger brother leaping and there’s this image of what looks the dad reaching for him and . . . I’m a puddle. I’m a mess. This has “award winner” written all over it. Be warned, be wary, and enjoy it.

Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme by Betsy Bird, ill. Andrea Tsurumi

Curiously, I don’t mind how good this particular book is. Most mysterious. Testimonials about it from teachers and librarians say that kids really get into it. If you’ve not seen it, the entire premise is that the sneaky weasel from the titular nursery rhyme has started to POP up in other nursery rhymes as well. Add in the incredible art of Andrea Tsurumi (ever seen a buff gym rat of a Little Miss Muffet, downing her whey for its body-building abilities?) and you’ve got yourself a fun little title. My co-worker Brian Wilson has been doing it in storytimes, and he has some advice: If you choose to read this to kids, save it to last. There is a real danger of kids yelling “POP! Goes the Weasel!” during all your other books if you don’t.

And that’s it. I could only do the smallest sampling of what I’ve been floored by in 2025, but what a strong sampling it is. So tell me what I missed? What do you think is the absolute bee’s knees in picture bookdom this year?

Enchanted Lion Books Publisher Preview (Fall 2025 & Winter 2026)

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There are a slew of small independent publishers out there, but Enchanted Lion Books has a reputation of its own. Take a look at any of the New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated lists of the last 10-20 years and you’re bound to notice the sheer number of Enchanted Lion Books making it onto that scant list of only ten books each and every year. The publishers has a particularly keen eye for not simply imports but homegrown authors and artists. For this preview they asked if I wanted to hear about some of their 2026 titles, as well as a book from their Unruly imprint (which is for adults) and I said, “Heck, yes!” so something to that effect.

As such, enjoy this motley crew of fairly amazing books:

Don’t Eat Me! The Almost True Story of Belladonna by Kate Finney, ill. Esmé Shapiro

ISBN: 9781592704347

Publication Date: October 14, 2025

Our heroine? A beautiful belladonna plant who is part of a forest community. The problem? Well, because she smells so good she’s eaten up all day long. Plants need to be eaten a little bit so that they can spread their seeds, but belladonna is just too darn tasty (and part of the fun of the book for me was getting to enjoy the expressions on the various animals’ faces as they gnaw her tender stems). To solve her problem, the plant starts talking to other plants to learn how they protect themselves. As she does, she learns about interconnectivity, like the fact that the oak is part of a larger community. After much thought, belladonna realizes that she needs to adapt and change in order to survive. Mind you, this kind of change can’t be done instantaneously, and illustrator Esmé Shapiro had to show the passing of eons, during which this change occurs. Slowly, belladonna becomes poisonous. The good news? She realizes she has now made enough poison to survive. The bad news? She’s terrified that because she’s made so much poison, no one will eat her anymore. Happily there is a solution evident when a pheasant comes along, eats her, seems to be fine, and then poops out the seeds. Turns out, it has co-evolved in a symbiotic relationship. As you can see, this book has key nonfiction STEM themes, yet is told in a lyrical and narrative story/fable style. This is a textbook case of informational fiction. There’s even an introduction and author’s note for parents and teachers tying all of this into messages of evolutionary biology, not eating poison, what a belladonna plant is, etc.

Before She Was My Grandmother by Giselle Potter

ISBN: 9781592704316

Publication Date: August 12, 2025

Giselle Potter has plied her trade in picture books for a number of years, yet this latest title is her most personal book yet. The story focuses on a girl named Alice and her relationship with her grandma. One day she discovers a treasure box full of momentos, which grants her access to her grandmother’s memories of the life that she led. Once we hear about the grandma’s past, it becomes clear that the book is about an artist coming into her own. It is also about what it means to understand other people complexities and how one can pass on a family history to the next generation. The art of the book itself is fresh and imaginative with bright colors. Grandma, through her memories, becomes more than just one identity to her granddaughter, since she has many stories folded into who she is and that can be passed on. And really, isn’t that what storytelling really is? The abiding lesson given by the grandmother is that every life is more than you can see. The hope, then, is that this book will spark a lot of conversations between readers and their grandparents about family history and heirlooms.

The Adventures of Cipollino by Gianni Rodari, ill. Dasha Tolstikova, translated by Antony Shugaar

ISBN: 9781592704163

Publication Date: September 23, 2025

Enchanted Lion sort of specializes in the works of Gianni Rodari, and this book is no exception. Illustrator Dasha Tolstikova, however, is Russian. She came to the United States when she was 11, but being Russian she grew up with Rodari because he was a superstar in the Soviet Union (you can see my recent piece on Rodari, his publisher, and his translator here if you’d like to know why). Every Russian kid was deeply into the man’s books, and Cipollino was one of Dasha’s favorites. The whole cast of characters in this story consists of fruits and vegetables. Our hero, Cipollino, is a little onion whose father is mistreated by the leader of their community. Before he’s taken away, though, Cipollino’s father tells him to go out into the world and study tyrants. The little onion does so and as he goes he meets many friends and enemies. Because of what he learns in his travels, Cipollino begins to push back against the tyrannical system they’re all living under. At its heart, this is a book about changing the power structure of his world and is a metaphor for power and the fight for justice. A rather good topic for children in 2025, wouldn’t you say? As for its length, this is very much a novel intended for kids 10+, clocking in around 40 short chapters with accompanying full-color illustrations. Consider it ideal for a teacher readaloud.

The Coziest Place on the Moon by Maria Popova, ill. Sarah Jacoby

ISBN: 9781592704378

Publication Date: November 4, 2025

Ah, this is a sweet one. You wouldn’t normally find a book this poetic in its language to be inspired by a New York Times article about the temperature of the moon, but here we are. You see, Maria Popova read an article that declared that there are nooks in the moon (old volcanic tubes of some sort) where the temperatures inside would be comfortable for humans). As such, in this story we meet a little blue hedgehoggy thing named Re who feels like the loneliest creature on Earth. The solution? Shoot off to the moon, of course! The book delves deep into the difference between solitude and aloneness and how solitude can nourish your spirit. In learning about those comfy moon temps, Maria initially came at this story from its science angle, then sublimated this feeling of wanting to go there into her characters. The idea is that solitude is when you’re still with yourself but with a feeling of connection that can staves off loneliness. And yes, there is great backmatter on the moon, temperatures, all that stuff. Think of it as a book that will help kids to think about space in a different way.

The Other Side of the Rocks by Nahid Kazemi

ISBN: 9781592704583

Publication Date: August 26, 2025

I was unaware of the work of Nahid Kazemi prior to encountering this book. Turns out, she’s a refugee from Iran and has built a life in and around Montreal. Our heroine in this story is a frog who is peaceably living within her community when one day she strikes up a conversation with an old red fish. In doing so, the fish gives the frog a sense that the world is greater than what she already knows and there is more out there to be discovered. At its heart, this is a tale about going out into the world to find yourself. Once the frog does travel beyond her usual borders she gets to think philosophical thoughts, hear birds in a different way, interact with them for the first time ever, and find new locales. Her world gets bigger, even as she feels the pull of home and brings back with her the inner riches and discoveries she found. She then shares new notes and new tempos in her own song with the other frogs. In looking this over, I was personally reminded of the picture book The Frog in the Well by Alvin Tresselt (a tale I think about often).

The Snow Theater by Ryoji Arai, translated by David Boyd

ISBN: 9781592704606

Publication Date: October 21, 2025

Meet Ryoji Arai, an amazing artist from Japan. This book is a little younger and a little simpler than some of the titles we’ve looked at so far. It’s about interacting with the natural world and the beauty, magic, and wonder. In this story, a little boy is playing with his friends and accidentally rips his father’s favorite book about butterflies. Soon thereafter he goes off into the snow by himself and stumbles across a very small snow theater that grows. Dreamlike (as you can see by the art) the book is about the snow, nature, the power of imagination, and even some SEL themes of reconciliation. You can bet that at the end, father and son both go back to their cozy home together.

Truman Toad and the Quest for the Perfect Hug by Oren Lavie, ill. Anke Kuhl

ISBN: 9781592704590

Publication Date: February 3, 2026

I have decided that for the rest of my life, all I want to do is upload Truman Toad photos onto my blog. I want to make it my life’s work. I want to wallpaper my world in all things Truman Toad. I mean, just look at that cover. Truman Toad, in case you’re curious, was first published in Germany where it was a huge hit. Interestingly, though, it was originally written in English. In the story, Truman is a very self-involved narcissistic character who one day has a dream of the perfect hug. Overcome by the thought that there might be a second half to his hug (which he felt in a dream) he desperately wants to find that bliss, that other half. The trouble is that he’s so self-involved that when he sets out to find the hug, nothing is right. They’re all too sharp or loose or soft. Truman soon gets very frustrated and has a dark night of his soul. I mean, what if it’s unfindable? Determined to track it down he puts an advert in the paper telling everyone to meet in the park for hugs. Everyone does show up, but nothing works for him. Worse still, everyone else is doing great! Truman takes to the podium to announce his failure, but he’s so overwhelmed that he falls into the arms of someone. And it works! Happiest hug achieved! Then you get an epilogue that he’s now become a specialist on hugging and written successful books and created hugging associations. I dunno, guys. I just love everything about this book SO much!

What a Small Cat Needs by Natalia Shaloshvili

ISBN: 9781592704774

Publication Date: January 27, 2025

I suspect you’ve seen some of the books of Natalia before, even if you can’t immediately recall them. And she has indeed done some GREAT books. The title of this particular book is no misnomer. It truly is all about what a small cat needs. There are the basic needs (food, drink, shelter) but also about how cats need independence and play and the affection of others. The art is very soft and lovely and the text fun and playful. If you want to get a little more deep about it, these are the universal truths of what we need from one another. Written for the very younger readers, Natalia brings to the tale a kind of Eastern European wryness. It’s even a little existential at the beginning (you need a nose, paws, a body, etc.).

The Forgotten Teachers: How Nature Wrote the Story of Life by Brian Islett, ill. Claudia Biçen

ISBN: 9781592704118

Publication Date: September 30, 2025

Are you familiar with the Unrule imprint of Enchanted Lion? Unruly titles are typically published with adults in mind. And this little beauty is by a neuroscientist. The book is all about combining the arts and the sciences together in an effort to rework our connections to the natural world. To make this clear it goes through the six different “teachers” that taught life how to begin and continue. These teachers include, for example, the oceans. The art, I was told, is inspired by scientific diagrams as well as illuminated manuscripts, but when I looked at them it seemed massively clear that artist Claudia Biçen was, on some level, inspired by the Voynich Manuscript. You see it, right? The text is very clear and engaging and it was fun to learn that Brian and Claudia are long time collaborators and friends. In fact, the did a Kickstarter to initially get this project off the ground. The driving idea behind it was that as an evolutionary biologist and neuroscientist they wanted to share concrete information on how we’re all interconnected. Not in some woo-woo science way, but literally, on the level of DNA and our world’s symbiosis. We are biologically connected. There’s a lot of mystery still to what that interconnection can mean, but this book is a space of shared consciousness where you know the science behind it. Might be a good choice for teens too who are into philosophical trends.

Many thanks to Claudia Zoe Bedrick and Emilie Wong for taking the time to show us all these neat titles. Look for each and every one in the coming year!