Along Came a Spider (Bird! In Spring #1)
Raymond McGrath. Graphic Universe, Feb. 3 ($12.99 trade paper, ISBN 979-8-7656-4813-1).
Spring is blooming in this early reader comic, where a bird newly flying solo takes in the sprouting greenery and meets a friendly spider. Ages 4–8.
Aurora and the Orc
Lewis Trondheim, trans. by Montana Kane. First Second, June 23 ($23.99, ISBN 978-1-250-37970-2)
Everyone’s acting like it’s totally normal that the transfer student has green skin and wields a club, but Aurora knows better, and soon is off on an orcish adventure in this tale from the Angoulême award winner. Ages 7–10.
Clyde
Jim Benton. Papercutz, Mar. 17 ($17.99, ISBN 978-1-5458-2355-2)
Country bear cub Clyde strikes out from his cozy home for Grizzly City, but soon finds that urban grit isn’t as great as he’d imagined. Ages 6–9.
Forty the Fortune Teller
Drew Daywalt and Kevin Cornell. Philomel, Feb. 24 ($18.99, ISBN 978-0-593-69146-5)
A paper fortune teller takes center stage in this “irreverent” and “sweet,” per PW’s review, outing by Daywalt, the New York Times–bestselling creator of The Day the Crayons Quit. Ages 4–8.
Friends and Rivals (Jeff The Land shark #1)
Kelly Thompson and Tokitokoro. Marvel, May 5 ($15.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-302-96694-2)
Marvel Rivals series breakout fave Jeff, an ambulatory shark, gets an early reader spin-off in which he battles all manner of foes and gains new powers and allies. Ages 7–10.
Loch Ness Monster’s Unbelievable Science
Anne Appert. Kids Can, May 5 ($14.99, ISBN 978-1-5253-1253-3)
This science-based comic doubles as an explainer on misinformation, as the Loch Ness Monster tries to present facts about birds, but a puffin keeps calling him out on his exaggerations. Ages 6–9.
My imaginary Duck
Graham Annable. HarperAlley, July 28 ($5.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-0634-1417-4)
Eisner and Oscar nominee Annable’s entry in the I Can Read Comics line finds a little girl named Mavis enamored with her imaginary friend, who’s a duck—but as much as she adores their playtime, he’s making it tricky for her to connect with real-life peers. Ages 4–8.
Once Upon a Tail: A Horse and Dragon Graphic Novel
Audrey Perrott and Charlene Chua. Abrams Fanfare, Apr. 21 ($14.99, ISBN 978-1-4197-7072-2)
In the medieval Land of La-Dee-Dah, a horse who’s a stickler for the rules and a mischievous dragon are an odd couple of best buds and big mutual fans of banana pudding. Ages 6–9.
Penny and the Yeti
Jimmy Gaspero and Amber Akin. Papercutz, Apr. 21 ($17.99, ISBN 978-1-5458-2380-4)
Penny’s a natural artist who scribbles pictures of cryptids all day, distracting herself from the drama of her parents always arguing. Then one day, a yeti she sketched comes to life. Ages 6–9.
The Pet Rock Mystery (Squirrel Lock Holmes #1)
Ashley Belote. Random House Graphic, Mar. 3 ($10.99, ISBN 978-0-593-89782-9)
A rabbit’s pet rock (named Dwayne, natch) is missing, and it’s up to Squirrel Lock Holmes and her partner, Mole Watson, to solve the case. Ages 6–9.
Pia in the Forest
David Bruggink. Holiday House, July 21 ($14.99, ISBN 978-0-8234-6160-8)
Pia ventures into a bustling forest to record sounds with her father, but gets lost—and along with a new friend named Quinn finds her way home by listening to the natural world as her guide. Ages 5–8.
Ready, Cassette, Go!
Jarett Sitter. Annick, May 5 ($25.99, ISBN 978-1-83402-056-3)
Cassette City realizes the dream of the 1990s, with its skate parks, arcades, and a battle of the bands. Friends including a raccoon, a robot, and a mobile mushroom help a newbie to town practice for the competition. Ages 7–11.
Sashimi
Dan Santat. Roaring Brook, Apr. 14 ($19.99, ISBN 978-1-250-35999-5)
Caldecott medal winner Santat returns with a caper in which a fish called Sashimi sneaks into a coastal town’s elementary school, befriends a class’s pet goldfish, and pretends that the sea beast the community’s hunting isn’t him. Ages 6–10.
Soccer Kicks: Over 60 Laugh-Out-Loud Comic Strip Soccer Jokes!
Emiliano Migliardo. Happy Yak, Apr. 7 ($10.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-83600-070-9)
Primarily wordless gags, these comics for kids who don cleats and run the field are full of soccer in-jokes and goalie humor. Ages 7–10.
The Spark Experiment
Matthew Manning and Matthew Loux. Andrews McMeel, Apr. 28 ($21.99, ISBN 979-8-8816-0193-5)
When a science experiment goes awry, David and Marta get sucked into the Micro Universe and escape with the help of a creature called Spark—but unwittingly unleash the naughty Negatrons. Ages 8–10.
Super Unicorn Princess
Mike Hartigan. Penguin Workshop, July 14 ($13.99 trade paper, ISBN 979-8-217-24449-2)
In Horizon City, a heroine in a ruffled dress flies with pastel-hued power and faces down such foes as a monstrous frozen confectionary and an overgrown alien slug. Ages 7–10.
Wild about Capybaras
Kevin McCloskey. Toon, May 19 ($13.99, ISBN 978-1-6626-6577-6)
For kids curious to learn about the hip new rodent on the block, McCloskey brings his trademark painterly art to this explainer on the recently ubiquitous capybara. Ages 5–7.
Read more from our spring 2026 comics & graphic novels preview feature.
