Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a picture book about a boy on the autism spectrum, an odd couple story, a middle grade novel about a precocious family, a school story about an unusual collection, and a picture book about coping with sadness.
A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey, illus. by Mika Song. Chronicle, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-4521-6791-6. This quiet picture book looks on as Henry, a boy on the autism spectrum, interacts with his classmates in search of a friend.
Sheep Dog and Sheep Sheep by Eric Barclay. HarperCollins, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-267738-9. A lovable sheepdog and his oblivious but enthusiastic charge feature in this comical picture book.
One-Third Nerd by Gennifer Choldenko, illus. by Églantine Ceulemans. Random/Lamb, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-5247-1888-6. Fifth grader Liam lives in a basement apartment with his mom, his two younger sisters (promising third grade scientist/resident nerd Dakota and second grade expert hugger Izzy), and their accident-prone German shepherd, Cupcake. The book earned a starred review from PW.
The Friendship War by Andrew Clements. Random House, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-399-55759-0. In the latest school story by Clements (The Losers Club), compulsive collector Grace is thrilled when her grandfather says she can keep the 27 boxes of buttons she discovers in his old mill.
When Sadness Is at Your Door by Eva Eland. Random House, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-525-70718-9. Sadness is the constant companion of the protagonist of this picture book, but after communicating with Sadness, the figure no longer seems like a burden. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Monkey Time by Michael Hall. Greenwillow, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-238302-0. Hall (Little i) playfully juggles the ideas of tracking time and counting in a picture book that also introduces tropical rainforest animals.
Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson, illus. by Don Tate. Peachtree, $17.95; ISBN 978-1-56145-934-6. In her conversational picture book biography of Carter G. Woodson, whose work led to the establishment of Black History Month, Hopkinson (Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen) acknowledges that he is a hero “we sometimes forget.”
Checked by Cynthia Kadohata, illus. by Maurizio Zorat. Atheneum/Dlouhy, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-4814-4661-7. Conor MacRae may not be a stellar student, but the half-Japanese 11-year-old is a champ on the ice. The middle grade novel earned a starred review from PW.
Under My Hijab by Hena Khan, illus. by Aaliya Jaleel. Lee & Low, $17.95; ISBN 978-1-62014-792-4. This picture book celebrates the diversity and autonomy of contemporary Muslim women.
The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan. Scholastic Press, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-338-22701-7. Seattle high school senior Rukhsana has hopes that diverge from her family’s: though her conservative Bengali-Muslim parents expect her to attend nearby University of Washington and to marry a young man, she has secretly applied to Caltech and is a closeted-to-them lesbian.
All You Need Is Love by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, illus. by Marc Rosenthal. Little Simon, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5344-2981-9. Rosenthal (Small Walt) turns Lennon and McCartney’s Summer of Love anthem into a tribute to friendship and community in this picture book.
Just Right: Searching for the Goldilocks Planet by Curtis Manley, illus. by Jessica Lanan. Roaring Brook, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-15533-7. Readers join a brown-skinned girl with a polka-dotted backpack as she asks questions about the stars and visits a space museum.
Bird Watch by Christie Matheson. Greenwillow, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-239340-1. Matheson takes readers on a tranquil counting and bird-watching expedition in this picture book.
We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia. HarperCollins/Tegen, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-269131-6. In this debut starring Latina teens, Mejia spins a complicated tale of love, intrigue, moral compromise, and action, with a prescient sensibility that echoes current headlines and political issues. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Remarkably You by Pat Zietlow Miller, illus. by Patrice Barton. HarperCollins, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-242758-8. A cast of diverse children seize the day in this picture book by helping others, taking on leadership roles, and expressing their personalities.
Three Little Birds by Lysa Mullady, illus. by Kyle Reed. Magination, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4338-2947-5. In geometric shapes and bright hues, three birds perch on a wire “chirping about the day” at the start of Mullady’s picture book, which delivers a missive about kindness and honesty.
Let ’Er Buck!: George Fletcher, the People’s Champion by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illus. by Gordon C. James. Carolrhoda, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5124-9808-0. Colloquial narration by Nelson (The Book Itch) pairs with striking oil-on-board paintings by James (Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut) to introduce readers to African-American cowboy George Fletcher from Pendleton, Ore. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Gittel’s Journey: An Ellis Island Story by Lesléa Newman, illus. by Amy June Bates. Abrams, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4197-2747-4. Nine-year-old Gittel and her mother are immigrating from the Old Country to America, leaving behind friends and many cherished belongings. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Crescendo by Paola Quintavalle, illus. by Alessandro Sanna, trans. from the Italian by Carlo Gallucci. Enchanted Lion, $19.95; ISBN 978-1-59270-255-8. Addressed directly to an unborn child, this luminous picture book—imported from Italy—presents a fetus’s in-utero growth with whimsy and sophistication.
Cicada by Shaun Tan. Scholastic/Levine, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-338-29839-0. Like the stories in Tan’s Tales from the Inner City, this fable stars a creature who interacts with human society but stands apart from it—or, in Cicada’s case, is excluded from it.
The Lost Girl by Anne Ursu. Walden Pond, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-06-227509-7. This suspenseful, magic-tinged middle grade novel follows two twins involved in mysterious occurrences. The book earned a starred review from PW.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of January, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
