Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including the story of two animal friends, the first in a silly series, a musical board book, and a futuristic take on Arthurian myths.
Maybe Tomorrow? by Charlotte Agell, illus. by Ana Ramirez. Scholastic Press, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-338-21488-8. Ramirez’s sunny digitized watercolors echo a hopeful mood in this picture book about two animals forging a new friendship.
It’s Me. (Catwad #1) by Jim Benton. Graphix, $8.99; ISBN 978-1-338-32602-4. This playful collection of graphic-format short stories, first in a new series, follows the adventures of two dissimilar cats—grumpy and cynical Catwad and happy-go-lucky Blurmp—who also happen to be best friends.
I Love Classical Music (My First Sound Book) by Marion Billet. Scholastic, $9.99; ISBN 978-1-338-26721-1. This cheerful board book, an addition to the My First Sound series, includes sound buttons that, when pressed, play classical music themes.
Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy. Little, Brown/Patterson, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-316-44927-4. Set in the future, this inclusive, refreshing take on the Arthurian mythos stars an impulsive teen female incarnation of Arthur who faces a heartless intergalactic commercial monopoly. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Bark in the Park!: Poems for Dog Lovers by Avery Corman, illus. by Hyewon Yum. Orchard, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-338-11839-1. Corman, the author of adult novels including Kramer vs. Kramer, makes his picture-book debut with this urban dog field guide comprising short poems—some only two lines—that salute the 38 breeds that a child and parent encounter on a walk through the city.
How to Walk an Ant by Cindy Derby. Roaring Brook, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-250-16262-5. The narrator of this off-the-wall picture book guide is a girl named Amariyah, who has a jumble of ink lines for hair and an unshakeable belief in her expertise as an ant walker.
Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc by David Elliott. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-328-98759-4. This collection of poems, each told from the perspective of Joan of Arc and the people and objects central to her life, creates a remarkable portrait of a person whose legend continues to fascinate. This YA collection earned a starred review from PW.
Smile: How Young Charlie Chaplin Taught the World to Laugh (and Cry) by Gary Golio, illus. by Ed Young. Candlewick, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-7636-9761-7. Golio and Young create a lively and poetic homage to silent film star Charlie Chaplin. The picture book earned a starred review from PW.
Bernice Buttman, Model Citizen by Niki Lenz. Random House, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-5247-7041-9. In this middle grade book, protagonist Bernice has dreams: to become a stuntwoman and attend a summer stunt camp, and to move beyond her hot temper and reputation as a bully to make a true friend.
Over the Moon by Natalie Lloyd. Scholastic Press, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-338-11849-0. A 12-year-old struggles as her family’s sole breadwinner until a dangerous opportunity offers financial freedom in this middle grade novel.
Because of the Rabbit by Cynthia Lord. Scholastic Press, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-545-91424-6. An adopted pet rabbit offers comfort to Emma, who is beginning fifth grade at a Maine public school after being homeschooled, and is worried she won’t find friends.
The Book Hog by Greg Pizzoli. Disney-Hyperion, $16.99; ISBN 978-136803689-4. In this picture book, a pig with a book hoarding problem learns to read from a librarian.
The Size of the Truth by Andrew Smith. Simon & Schuster, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5344-1955-1. In Smith’s middle grade debut, a companion to his YA novel Stand-Off, Sam’s parents have just skipped him from sixth to eighth grade, the first step, they say, in getting him into MIT; but he just wants to be a chef.
Felipe and Claudette by Mark Teague. Orchard, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-545-91432-1. Teague (Jack and the Beanstalk and the French Fries), who often wields scale and texture to great comic effect, is fully in his element with this tale of the odd friendship between portly, imperious cat Felipe and Claudette, a hot mess of a mutt.
Sweety by Andrea Zuill. Random/Schwartz & Wade, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-525-58000-3. Zuill (Business Pig) effectively employs empathy, honesty, and an elegant ink line in this picture book to persuade readers that everyone can find their people, even an awkward naked mole rat.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of March, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
