Hitting shelves next week are a nearly wordless tale of friendship, the launch of a new romance trilogy, and a YA fantasy novel about where we go when we die.
The Traitor’s Kiss by Erin Beaty. Imprint, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-11794-6. Beaty’s debut—the first book of a planned trilogy—introduces 16-year-old Sage Fowler, who is sent to apprentice with a matchmaker, Darnessa Rodelle, after her Uncle William declares her unmatchable. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Prince and Pirate by Charlotte Gunnufson, illus. by Mike Lowery. Putnam, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-399-17604-3. Gunnufson’s picture book about acceptance and sharing introduces two pet fish who are content in their separate bowls: Prince is a prim sort, with an underwater castle and carriage, while rowdy Pirate sails his schooner and guards his treasure.
Edgeland by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski. Putnam, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-399-17581-7. In this YA fantasy, two friends discover the secret of life after death as they travel to the realm where people go to await their final fate.
Raymond Yann and Gwendel Le Bec. Candlewick, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-7636-8950-6. In this picture book, dog Raymond has a pretty nice life, but he dreams of more and begins to “act more and more like a human,” joining his family for cupcakes, cappuccinos, and trips to the movies.
That Neighbor Kid by Daniel Miyares. Simon & Schuster, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4814-4979-3. In this nearly wordless picture book, two neighbor kids cross a fence to build a tree house together.
Cricket in the Thicket: Poems About Bugs by Carol Murray, illus. by Melissa Sweet. Holt/Ottaviano, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-8050-9818-1. Murray crafts nearly 30 poems about familiar insects, sometimes educational, sometimes providing an insect’s-eye view of life, alongside Sweet’s illustrations.
The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Jerry Pinkney. Little, Brown, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-316-34157-8. Caldecott Medalist Pinkney tackles the classic folktale of three goats’ confrontation with a troll, and offers a refreshed ending. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Rodzilla by Rob Sanders, illus. by Dan Santat. S&S/McElderry, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4814-5779-8. Sanders’s sendup of a rampaging toddler is both cute and gross— kind of like toddlers themselves—depicted as a rampaging dinosaur by Caldecott Medalist Santat.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of May, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
