Kaleidoscopes provide a textual and visual through line for this awe-inspiring scientific tribute to butterflies from Paul, teaming up with Hari and Deepti. Per a note, content draws on the author’s firsthand experience raising the insects to take readers through the life-cycle stages, from egg to larvae to caterpillar to chrysalis and beyond. Each phase is introduced in rhyming lines (“That thriller/ caterpillar?/ Hear them munch,/ crunch, munch”) accompanied by three-dimensional renderings. Extended prose offers further detail in themed interstitials accompanied by page-filling, kaleidoscopic patterns of varied species and stages. (In one, multicolored caterpillars emerge from eggs; in another, wings, legs, and antennae spiral outward.) Employing paper and paper clay, glue, watercolor, and other materials, the artists’ artwork—first sculpted, then photographed—encourages close observation. It’s a truly unforgettable look at how butterfly life cycles spiral outward. Human figures are depicted with various skin tones. Creators’ notes and an activity conclude. Ages 4–8. (May)

Reviewed on 04/17/2026 | Details & Permalink

First-person narration savvily incorporates avian motifs and vocabulary in English and Figueroa’s engrossing account of a family birdwatching expedition. The outing begins pre-dawn as the youth, dubbed Honeybird, and Pop head out from a camper. Venturing down a trail, the brown-skinned pair engage in “EARbirding” as well as endeavor to tick colors off the protagonist’s hand-drawn specimen list, particularly seeking out an elusive blue heron. Onomatopeia punctuates their outing: “I call softy into the wild rice, ‘pish, pish.’ A yellowthroat warbles back, wich-i-ty wich-i-ty wich.” But while the duo spy several other species, Honeybird is disappointed by having not spotted a heron until, as the day winds down, an opportunity for one last checkmark presents itself. An appealing luminosity infuses atmospheric digital paintings for an effect that’s at once soothing and optimistic. This evenhanded, realistic chronicle supportively focuses on specific aspects of engaging with the natural world. A birding glossary and facts conclude. Ages 4–8. (May)

Reviewed on 04/17/2026 | Details & Permalink

An Icelandic family goes on Puffling Patrol in Paeff and Ólafsdóttir’s plucky factual story. The account begins after midnight as youth Freya and relations pile into their car to seek out baby puffins “who’ve accidentally landed in town, instead of on the water.” Matter-of-fact narration smoothly interweaves scientific info into a chronicle of the pale-skinned family’s expedition—explaining dangers facing the pufflings and post-rescue next steps, including wingspan measurement and leg banding. A subplot centering on Freya’s difficulty catching a bird winningly achieves resolution when the protagonist handles a hiding specimen. Thickly stroked and hatched gouache and colored pencil illustrations embrace a wide palette of icy blues as well as shimmering greens and yellows; scenes consistently capture lightly sketched figures, portrayed with various skin tones, coming to the rescue of their feathered finds. It’s a sprightly portrait of cross-species care. Back matter includes facts and bibliography. Ages 4–8. (June)

Reviewed on 04/17/2026 | Details & Permalink

In Tatsukawa’s stepwise tale about a nocturnal book-lover, a sugar glider travels through the night sky in search of the perfect reading light. Noting the moon’s absence, the chatty protagonist laments the resulting dark (“How will I be able to read?”). A hunt for a suitable source of illumination ensues as the marsupial dramatically “jumps” and “glides” through the treetops (faint arrows trace the leafy path), trailing an elusive glowing orb and encountering forest dwellers and phenomena such as glowing mushrooms. En route, avian character Tawny bores with facts about the lunar cycle, and the “Nighttime Knitters” offer encouragement, but only the denizens of the Midnight Record Shop direct the protagonist toward a firefly who, with others, is poised to provide suitable brightness. Emerald and amethyst art employs stencils, rubber stamps, handmade textures, and even four-leaf clovers for a thickly verdant feel across this whimsical nighttime jaunt. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 04/17/2026 | Details & Permalink

Monosyllabic rhymes build toward an invigorating account of a corvid’s active day in Kamphuis’s skillfully spare story. The solitary crow—with its sleek body and sharp beak—stars in every spread as, from first “glow,” the bird endeavors to “go,” flight taking it through wind (“blow”) and above farmland (“grow”). Spotting a pale-skinned farmworker planting seeds (“sow”), the avian subject swoops in for a snack only to be quickly shooed away (“foe”). Airborne once more, the protagonist heads back to its nest—the true nature of its errand revealed at last (“Oh!”) as a peachy dusk settles upon the page. Digital illustrations with a grainy, screen-print vibe embrace organic curvature; dot leaves fill sinuous tree limbs that reach toward the sky, and tilled soil twists like tree rings. The crisp simplicity of the text and art generates a timelessness that enables this work to soar. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 04/17/2026 | Details & Permalink

In Kremer and Hunt’s chipper picture book, rigid rhymes and bubbly artwork give a fanciful backstory to the mutualistic relationship between bees and flowers. When Little Bee checks in on a “sour”-looking bloom one morning, the lonely flower explains its mood: “I cannot soar/ or roam like you./ I stay in place/ the whole day/ through.” The helpful insect immediately goes into problem-solving mode, first proposing sharing her wings and then offering to haul the flora’s ​​pollen. After sipping the plant’s energizing nectar, Little Bee sets to work, even getting her hive in on the action. “Pollination is this awesome dance,” the work concludes, encouraging readers: “When you see bees buzzing near,/ don’t forget to smile and cheer!” Bright-eyed figural characterizations of the flower and bees lend a retro vibe to this playful view of the pollination cycle. Human figures are portrayed with various skin tones. Bee-friendly actions and a glossary conclude. Ages up to 5. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 04/17/2026 | Details & Permalink

In their dazzling graphic novel romantasy, debut creator MS and Marquez (Game of Code) follow a high priestess-in-training struggling to reconcile her responsibility to her family’s legacy with her passion. After a lifetime of training, teenage Myra believes that she should be ready to succeed her grandmother as the high priestess of Ah’ron, but she has yet to receive her first vision from the god Alrun. Burdened by the weight of the kingdom’s expectations and the increasing nearness of mysterious shadows plaguing the country, Myra wants to make her grandmother proud. She also yearns to explore her suppressed passion for dance, which is taboo in Ah’ron for its purported power to unleash an ancient evil. Ahead of a festival, dashing Prince Eyden—heir to the throne and Myra’s childhood friend—returns home from abroad, where he lived freely as a commoner. As he and Myra take a twilight stroll through the palace gardens, he urges her to reconsider the life and responsibilities thrust upon her. When her grandmother suddenly falls ill and the dark forces loom closer, Myra is forced into the role of acting high priestess and must figure out how to combat the progressing shadows. Each page of this luminous fantasy is alight with lush botanicals, glowing lanterns, and shimmering stars, transfixing the reader in magic and movement informed by “ancient Indian dance forms,” per a creators’ note. Fans of fairy tales and mythology will delight in this wondrous offering. Ages 12–up. (July)

Reviewed on 04/10/2026 | Details & Permalink

Mock (Salt Magic) considers the intersection of talent and drive in her intimate, behind-the-scenes graphic novel debut about young ballerinas. Gracie, a talented, pale-skinned ballet dancer, heads from small-town Ohio to New York City for the prestigious Youth Dance Summer Workshop. Staying with her godmother Dani in a cramped apartment shared with three energetic dogs, Gracie struggles to adjust to the city’s noises and pace. Her focus quickly narrows to dance—and to her self-proclaimed rivalry with gifted, brown-skinned peer Sariah—while she forms a close friendship with petite, red-haired Jaz. Though the workshop’s strict instructors are mindful of the girls’ growing bodies, they also push the dancers to their physical limits. As the girls endeavor to come together as a corps for the end-of-session showcase, the intensity of the training and the strain of interpersonal dynamics marred by cliques and bullying heighten both the stakes and the drama. Gracie is portrayed as a dancer with the confidence and focus of an elite performer, tempered by a relatable naivete regarding the metropolitan setting compared to her hometown. Her determination propels her through challenges, giving readers a glimpse of the sweat, triumph, and occasional heartbreak behind ballet’s refined surface. Fluid linework and a pastel palette evoke the strength and grace of the dancers, resulting in an eloquent and movement-filled portrait of ambition and self-discovery. Ages 8–12. Agent: Chelsea Eberly, Greenhouse Literary. (July)

Reviewed on 04/10/2026 | Details & Permalink

Desire to gain closure about a prior loss and save face with her peers leads a self-effacing teen on a quest in this frightening paranormal novel from Senf (Pennies). In the Pacific Northwest town of Seeker’s Rest, the unexplained is part of everyday life, including the mysterious drowning of teen Harrow’s father in the nearby lake years earlier. After classmate Shane asks about Harrow’s weekend plans in front of Harrow’s former best friend Olive, Harrow announces that she’s going to explore the strange new island that has appeared in the middle of the lake. The plan escalates as Shane invites himself along, followed by Olive and her boyfriend Ethan. Before Harrow can reconsider, family friend Mike is ferrying the white-cued teens across the lake despite his unease about the island’s sudden appearance. As soon as they arrive, their phones lose service, and the world around them begins to physically shift, the landscape warping into distorted imagery. Harrow’s attempt to escape is foiled when Mike and his boat inexplicably sink into the lake. Now stranded, the group soon discovers a disturbing “kill kit” in Ethan’s bag, forcing them to question whether the island itself is dangerous—or if the threat is one of their own. Atmospheric and unsettling, it’s a thriller that grounds its supernatural premise in emotional clarity, charting a journey that is both surreal and deeply human. Ages 14–up. Agent: Ali Herring, Spencerhill Assoc. (July)

Reviewed on 04/10/2026 | Details & Permalink

A ghost-hunting teen is unprepared for the violence and emotional weight of a successful spectral encounter in this chilling thriller from Bou-Montes (Till the Last Beat of My Heart). When Puerto Rican youth Joaquín and his friends break into an abandoned Massachusetts house, the group’s intrusion awakens the restless spirit of Maximiliano, a teen who, 30 years earlier, died in a presumed suicide after falling from the roof. Following Joaquín’s flight from the scene with a bracelet that once belonged to Max, the ghost becomes tethered to him. Max, who has no memory of his own death, discovers he can communicate through electronic devices, but his unstable emotions often overload or destroy anything powered by electricity. Though Joaquín’s relationship with his Deaf, Chinese Puerto Rican ex-boyfriend Marte is strained, the pair team up to tackle the haunting and help Max move on, with Marte relying on his ability to perceive ghosts and drawing on his prior experience with hostile spirits. But the more they dig into Max’s past, the more emotionally unstable he becomes, each new revelation resulting in increasingly perilous consequences for Joaquín, whose own body and health become disturbingly intertwined with the ghost. Genuine suspense, surprising revelations, and moments of real danger culminate in a gripping contemporary haunting. Ages 14–up. Agent: Saritza Hernandez, Andrea Brown Literary. (July)

Reviewed on 04/10/2026 | Details & Permalink