Picture book and illustrated sequels publishing in the next two months include a pigeon's first day of school, a bear pursued by goslings, a llama learning about responsibility, and more.

The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! 

by Mo Willems (Hyperion, July 2, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-368-04645-9)

Facing the anxiety of unfamiliar experiences and back-to-school angst, Pigeon refuses to go to school in this newest addition to the beloved Pigeon series.

Rocket’s Very Fine Day

by Tad Hills (Random House, July 2, $4.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-525-64494-1)

The Rocket series continues with Rocket and his friend, Bella, enjoying a sunny day at the beach until unexpected clouds and rain appear. This Level 1 Step into Reading title is aimed at beginning readers.

The Invention Hunters Discover How Machines Work

by Korwin Briggs (Little, Brown, July 9, $17.99 ISBN 978-0-316-43679-3)

Continuing a nonfiction series that could be described as The Magic School Bus meets The Way Things Work, the Invention Hunters travel the world in their flying museum to collect the world’s greatest inventions. Landing in a construction zone, the blundering scientists are guided by a kid who, using simple explanations and diagrams, teaches them about machines and engineering.

Mad Scientist Academy: The Ocean Disaster

by Matthew McElligott (Crown, July 9, $17.99 ISBN 978-1-5247-6719-8)          

Mr. Cosmic's class embarks on a deep sea dive in SKWID, their special submarine, to identify the smallest producers and consumers of the ocean, almost becoming a whale’s lunch, in this fourth installment in the Mad Scientist Academy series.

Imagine That

by Jonathan D. Voss (Holt, July 16, $17.99 ISBN 978-1-250-31455-0)

In the second Hoot & Olive story, following Brave Enough for Two, Olive and her stuffed owl friend, Hoot, search for his lost imagination.

Peek-a-Bruce 

by Ryan T. Higgins (Disney-Hyperion, July 23, $7.99; ISBN 978-1-368-02857-8)

Series favorite Bruce, first introduced in Mother Bruce, hides from persistent goslings in this original board book featuring seek-and-find elements.

Stanley's Train

by William Bee (Peachtree, Aug 1, $14.95 978-1-68263-108-9)

Continuing the Stanley series, readers board Stanley’s train bound for an unknown destination, but passengers carrying a beach ball, a toy boat, and an inner tube provide important clues.

The Ranger

by Nancy Vo (Groundwood, Aug 6, $17.95, ISBN 978-1-77306-128-3)

A ranger frees a fox caught in a trap and then must face whether their friendship is based on indebtedness or meaningful connection in this second book in the [Crow Stories trilogy].

Poppy and Sam and the Mole Mystery

by Cathon, trans. by Susan Ouriou (Owlkids, Aug. 13, $16.95, ISBN 978-1-77147-379-8)

This second in the picture book/graphic novel Poppy and Sam series follows the two tiny friends as they visit Snuggles Molesy and lead an exhaustive search for Snuggles' missing pink glasses.

Spot & Dot

by Henry Cole (Little Simon, Aug 13, $17.99 ISBN 978-1-5344-2555-2)

In this wordless follow-up to 2016’s Spot, the Cat a dog named Dot draws Spot, the cat, into an adventure that ends with a charming twist.

The Wolf Who Solved the Mystery of the Missing Mask

by Orianne Lallemand, illus. by Eleonore Thuillier (Auzuo, Aug 13, $14.95 ISBN 978-2-7338-6740-2)

Wolf visits a museum in his latest adventure, treating readers to a factual exploration of the history of museums, their contents, and more.

Llama Llama Mess Mess Mess 

by Anna Dewdney and Reed Duncan (Viking, Aug 20, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-670-01644-0)

In this posthumously published new entry in the Llama Llama series, written by Dewdney and completed by her long-time partner Duncan, Mama mimics Llama by refusing to clean up and complete chores, throwing everything into chaos and providing a relatable lesson about tidiness, cleaning, and responsibility.

Tractor Mac: Autumn Is Here

by Billy Steers (FSG, Aug 20, $17.99 ISBN 978-0-374-30920-6)

Tractor Mac and his friends help Fergie the calf adjust to the shift from summer to autumn and embrace change in this new book in the Tractor Mac series

 

Swan Lake

by the New York City Ballet, illus. by Valeria Docampo (Little Simon, Aug 27, $17.99 ISBN 978-1-4814-5833-7)

The third picture book in conjunction with the New York City Ballet, following The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty, faithfully depicts the storyline, choreography, costumes, and sets of the company’s performance of Swan Lake.

Mr. Squirrel and the King of the Forest

by Sebastian Meschenmoser (NorthSouth, July 2, $18.95 ISBN 978-0-7358-4342-4)

In this third in a series, Mr. Squirrel is convinced that the unknown creature under his tree is the legendary king of the forest. Will the mysterious figure share his wisdom with the forest creatures and help them live better lives?