Hitting shelves next week are a wordless picture book about two cardinals in a famous Christmas tree, a middle grade novel about a boy building his way out of grief, and a YA novel about a defining day for a troubled teen.

I Love You Like a Pig by Mac Barnett, illus. by Greg Pizzoli. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-235483-9. For kids, similes are a gateway to the world of figurative language, but they’re also ripe for absurdist comedy, as Barnett (Triangle) and Pizzoli (Good Night Owl) prove in this picture book. The title earned a starred review from PW.

Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore. Penguin/Dawson, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-8037-4149-2. The latest work from Graceling author Cashore is a stand-alone novel that employs multiple genres to tell the story of a girl unmoored by the passing of a family member.

Wee Sister Strange by Holly Grant, illus. by K.G. Campbell. Random House/Schwartz & Wade; $17.99; ISBN 978-0-553-50879-6. A young forest spirit known as Wee Sister Strange travels through a forest by night, in this picture book. The title earned a starred review from PW.

Saving Marty by Paul Griffin. Dial, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-399-53907-7. Griffin (When Friendship Followed Me Home) delivers a portrayal of an 11-year-old boy beginning to wonder about his place in the world. The book earned a starred review from PW.

Imagine by John Lennon, illus. by Jean Jullien. Clarion, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-328-80865-3. Published in partnership with Amnesty International, this interpretation of Lennon’s famous song follows a determined, eager-eyed pigeon—a personable and quirky take on the proverbial dove—around the world as it distributes olive branches and makes peace among its feathered friends.

Yak and Dove by Kyo Maclear, illus. by Esmé Shapiro. Tundra, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-77049-494-7. In this picture book about odd friends, hulking Yak is a well-mannered, phlegmatic introvert, while Dove is pushy, quick tempered, and a little self-important. The book earned a starred review from PW.

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu. Roaring Brook, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-62672-635-2. In this YA novel, high schooler Viv confronts sexism by galvanizing classmates over a feminist zine.

The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore. Knopf, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-5247-0124-6. In this debut middle grade novel, a boy heals from the loss of his brother by connecting with neighbors over building with Legos. The book earned a starred review from PW.

Release by Patrick Ness. HarperTeen, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-240319-3. A heartbreaking dual narrative follows Adam, a gay teenager with homophobic parents, and the ghost of a classmate murdered by her meth-addicted boyfriend, over the course of one, defining day. The book earned a starred review from PW.

Are We Pears Yet? by Miranda Paul, illus. by Carin Berger. Roaring Brook/Porter, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-62672-351-1. Paul (10 Little Ninjas) and Berger (Good Night! Good Night!) transport readers to a music hall stage, complete with footlights, and present a theatrical revue starring two pear seeds.

Nativity by Cynthia Rylant. Beach Lane, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4814-7041-4. In a companion to 2016’s Creation, which drew on the book of Genesis, Rylant crafts a spare, graceful rendition of the Nativity, with text adapted from the King James Bible. The book earned a starred review from PW.

Runny Babbit Returns by Shel Silverstein. Harper, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-247939-6. Turns out there were more “completed but unassembled” spoonerism poems and accompanying b&w line drawings in the Silverstein vault. Hence, this follow-up to 2005’s posthumous “billy sook,” Runny Babbit.

Red and Lulu by Matt Tavares. Candlewick, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-7636-7733-6. The titular characters of this wordless picture book are cardinals roosting in a tree that is transported to Rockefeller Center in New York City. The book earned a starred review from PW.

The Way to Bea by Kat Yeh. Little, Brown, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-316-23667-6. Yeh (The Truth About Twinkie Pie) homes in on the pain of not fitting in and of being discarded by a trusted friend, in this middle grade novel about a young poet.

For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of September, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.