Welcome to our spring 2025 Children’s Preview issue!

Authors and publishers discuss how they’re keeping up with the ever-shifting social media landscape. Editors share stories about the most unexpected—and unpleasant—places they’ve been pitched. Plus we’ve got a comprehensive listing of children’s and YA titles being released between February 1 and July 31.

Happy reading!

About Our Cover Artist

Jason Chin’s picture books are forces of nature. His work explores majestic subjects, beginning in 2019 with Redwoods, his first solo book as author and illustrator, and in Grand Canyon, Gravity, and Your Place in the Universe.

He received the Caldecott Medal for his illustrations for Watercress, a more personal story of family and immigration, and human connections to the land. And just last week, he received the Robert F. Sibert Medal with author Lynn Brunelle for the nonfiction picture book Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall.

Looking back, Chin says, “I was always around books. I wasn’t always a passionate reader, but I was a passionate drawer.” Ten-year-old Chin especially admired David Macaulay’s books, including Castle and The Way Things Work. “I loved that book. I still love that book!”

He also describes frequent visits to his public library in Lyme, N.H., where local artist Trina Schart Hyman’s work was displayed. “The original art was a part of my life from an early age,” he says, recalling the experience of seeing the Caldecott Medalist’s art from Canterbury Tales, The Water of Life, and others. “It was like our own personal children’s illustration museum.”

In high school, Chin cold-called Hyman and asked if she would take a look at his portfolio. “I don’t know what I expected,” he says. To his delight, she agreed—and ended up becoming a mentor. “She took me under her wing. I met with her regularly to talk about art. She modeled the life of an illustrator for me, and she gave me the confidence to believe I could do it.”

A bookmaking class at Syracuse University pushed him further down the path to illustrating children’s books. A common theme for Chin, and something that continues to fascinate him, is the intersection between science and nature and art. “A few years ago, I came across a quote from the astronaut Mae Jemison, who said that science and art are not just two sides of the same coin; they are manifestations of the same human impulse to create and to search for truth,” he says. That notion resonates with him. He says he’s long been interested in artists with scientific minds, such as Leonard da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Beatrix Potter, to name a few.

The way Chin approaches synthesizing science and art is “through story,” he says. “That’s what connects it all.” Take Life After Whale, a picture book telling a colossal story of life and death by examining the process by which a blue whale’s body slowly sinks to the bottom of the ocean, nourishing new ecosystems over the course of a century. In a conversation with illustrator Katherine Roy for PW about his illustrations for that book, Chin related how he “geeked out” on whale anatomy, and dove into the challenges related to capturing depth, scale, and underwater lighting—or lack thereof—in watercolor and gouache.

Chin currently lives in South Burlington, Vt., where he shares a home and workspace with his wife, fellow author-illustrator Deirdre Gill. “We are packed in here,” he says, gesturing to their adjacent desks over Zoom. “It does feel a little tight, but we make it work.” Sometimes their children join them in the studio. Daughter Maeve, 11, whom Chin describes as an avid reader (“We have to tell her to stop reading sometimes and do other important things”), recently sat with him and sketched possible compositions for the PW cover. Her design concept made the cut.

Just on the horizon is Hurricane, another STEM picture book fusing science, nature, and art, due out May 6 from Neal Porter Books. Once again, the project demanded Chin’s attentive research and craftsmanship, though, as he says, “The real work of the book is to put it all into a story with characters that make you want to turn the page and find out what happens next.” —E.K.

Where Is the Kid Lit Community Online?

As social media communities splinter, children’s authors and publishers wonder where their next digital gathering place will be.

Children’s Editors on the Worst Places They Were Ever Pitched

There are a few occupational hazards to being an editor in children’s publishing. One is how often people feel compelled to tell you their book idea—sometimes in unexpected (and unwelcome) circumstances. We asked editors about the most unusual place they’ve been pitched a children’s book.

Kelly Yang Takes Flight

As middle grade and YA author Kelly Yang branches out into picture books, she keeps her focus on crafting nuanced Asian American representation.

Spring 2025 Children's Preview: Publishers A-C

Spring 2025 Children's Preview: Publishers D-H

Spring 2025 Children's Preview: Publishers I-O

Spring 2025 Children's Preview: Publishers P-S

Spring 2025 Children's Preview: Publishers T-Z

Fall 2025 Children's Sneak Previews