Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles including a picture book lesson on generosity, a story showcasing the connection between food and family, a picture book exploring one of literature’s most legendary creatures, and more.
Beatrix and the Unicorn by Lita Judge. Atheneum, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-6659-6391-6. Judge weaves magic and the ache of loneliness into a values-oriented picture book of generosity rewarded.
Bread Is Love by Pooja Makhijani, illus. by Lavanya Naidu. Roaring Brook, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-2509-0688-5. A mother and two young children bake a loaf of bread from scratch in this satisfying picture book portrait of a family ritual that feeds bellies, minds, and spirits. The book received a starred review from PW.
Call of the Dragon by Natasha Bowen. Random House, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-89815-4 Herbalist Moremi is the teenage daughter of the principal priestess to Yida, the dragon goddess. When the betrayal of their kingdom’s king forces the gods to abandon their city, Moremi must track down the gods to complete an important ritual. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
Call Me Moby by Lars Kenseth. Macmillan/Balzer + Bray, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-2504-0874-7. Could the most famous whale in literature simply be terribly misunderstood? That’s the premise of this picture book, a solo debut from New Yorker cartoonist Kenseth.
Change Is in the Air: The Hidden Discoveries of Eunice Newton Foote, the First Climate Scientist by Rebecca Donnelly, illus. by Mercè López. Holt, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-82853-8. Donnelly and López celebrate the acumen of American scientist and suffragist Foote in this engaging account of the subject’s work. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Europa by James Ponti. Aladdin, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-665-95998-8. In the seventh installment in Ponti’s City Spies series, the tween agents split up across Europe to prevent the henchmen of a jailed villain from executing a sinister plot across the continent.
Here Come the Aunties! by Cynthia Leitich Smith, illus. by Aphelandra. Heartdrum, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-0633-7469-0. A wealth of aunties contribute to an Indigenous child’s day-to-day in this lovingly communal picture book portrait. The book received a starred review from PW.
Hummingbird’s Big Trip by G. Brian Karas. Random House Studio, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-90260-8. On the cusp of winter migration, a hummingbird works through worries about its looming journey to “the warm south” in a candidly told first-person narrative. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Junko’s Climb by Elyssa Gavin, illus. by HifuMiyo. Union Square, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-4549-4683-0. Gavin applauds the heights reached by Junko Tabei, the first woman to climb Mt. Everest, in an invigorating story that opens with a formative childhood experience. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Marie’s Magic Eggs: How Marie Procai Kept the Ukrainian Art of Pysanky Alive by Sandra Neil Wallace, illus. by Evan Turk. Calkins Creek, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-662-68069-4. In this moving picture book, Wallace and Turk limn the life story of artist and entrepreneur Procai, focusing on her devotion to her culture’s credo that “as long as pysanky are decorated, there will be good in the world.” The book received a starred review from PW.
Marty Moose: First Class Mischief by Claire Powell. Candlewick, $16.99 hardcover; ISBN 978-1-5362-4780-0; $6.99 paper ISBN 978-1-5362-5021-3. Making a solo debut with this cozy chapter book series opener, Powell presents a lively adventure helmed by an optimistic mouse protagonist. The book received a starred review from PW.
Pinkie’s Turnabout by Sue Lloyd-Davies. Fitzroy, $15.95 paper; ISBN 978-1-64603-689-9. Drawing on personal experience, Lloyd-Davies confronts the hardships of caring for a loved one with dementia in this brutally tender debut.
Some of Us Are Brave by Saadia Faruqi, illus. by Chaaya Prabhat. Quill Tree, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-0633-8953-3. In this pulse-pounding novel, Faruqi reflects on Hurricane Harvey’s impact on Houston, where she resides.
The Sweater: A Story of Community by Larissa Theule, illus. by Teagan White. Viking, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-5935-2894-5. Offering community care alongside space to heal is the gentle model animating this compassionate woodland tale. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
To the Death by Andrea Tang. Putnam, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-85821-9. Tang explores cycles of corruption, emotional abuse, and grief in this complex and high-stakes sapphic romantasy. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
When Cherry Blossoms Fall by Katrina Goldsaito, illus. by Yas Imamura. Little, Brown, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-3162-8112-6. Learning to appreciate impermanence is the delicate takeaway of this conceptual intergenerational tale. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of February, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
