Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles including a picture book meditation guide, the story of an author and her birds, a madcap romp with bunnies, a book about a guide dog in training, and many more.

Already a Butterfly: A Meditation Story by Julia Alvarez, illus. by Raúl Colón. Holt/Ottaviano, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-62779-932-4. Alvarez (Return to Sender) pens this picture book introduction to meditation with advisory zeal, focusing on explanations that will appeal to caretakers who seek to support young meditation practitioners, alongside jewel-toned spreads by Colón.

The Strange Birds of Flannery O’Connor by Amy Alznauer, illus. by Ping Zhu. Enchanted Lion, $18.95; ISBN 978-1-59270-295-4. Alznauer treats writer Flannery O’Connor’s life with exceptional delicacy and depth of feeling, punctuated with Zhu’s bold, colorful illustrations, in this picture book.

Bunnies on the Bus by Philip Ardagh, illus. by Ben Mantle. Candlewick, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-1116-0. In this picture book, when one of Sunny Town’s buses ends up full of rabbits, it turns into a speeding, careening public menace, with the bunny driver “swerving ’round the corners” while the town’s other denizens react from sidewalks and bus stops with a range of expressions.

Raising Lumie by Joan Bauer. Viking, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-593-11320-2. A guide dog in training helps a grieving girl navigate a transitional year in Bauer’s tender middle grade novel. The book earned a starred review from PW.

The Circus Rose by Betsy Cornwell. Clarion, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-3286-3950-9. In chapters that alternate between prose and poetry, Cornwell (The Forest Queen) retells “Snow White and Rose Red,” placing the classic fairy tale against a lushly imagined circus backdrop in this YA novel.

The Messy Life of Blue by Shawna Railey. Little Bee, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-4998-1025-7. This middle grade novel approaches a girl’s attempts at remembering her deceased mother with humor.

Sarah Bernhardt: The Divine and Dazzling Life of the World’s First Superstar by Catherine Reef. Clarion, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-328-55750-6. This YA biography offers a solid introduction to an unconventional feminist and international idol.

Jules vs. the Ocean by Jessie Sima. Simon & Schuster, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5344-4168-2. In this picture book, a girl faces off with the ocean in her attempt to make a sand castle as the tide rolls in.

Nana Akua Goes to School by Tricia Elam Walker, illus. by April Harrison. Random/Schwartz & Wade, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-525-58113-0. Anxious that her Ghanaian grandmother’s tribal face markings will elicit teasing during a school visit, the picture book protagonist learns a lesson in taking pride in tradition and difference. The book earned a starred review from PW.

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