Every 10 years, the three major gods of the Continent host the Celestial Banquet, a competition in which five teams, each sponsored by a minor god, risk everything for a priceless reward. Determined to honor her deceased father’s memory, 16-year-old noodle chef Cai convinces the local god, Kama, to assemble a team for the first time in a century. Joined by wealthy playboy Seon and wandering warrior Tala, Cai competes against the best chefs on the Continent in a tournament designed to test her like never before, as the gods are capricious and cruel and the losers of the contest rarely leave in one piece, if at all. As each round claims new victims, Cai must reexamine the role of cooking in her life and contend with competing affections for Seon and her childhood friend Bo. In this dazzling East Asian–influenced fantasy, Lim (Night for Day, for adults) weaves together deadly magic, deliciously described dishes, and intensely personal stakes to deliver a tale that satisfies all the senses. The inclusion of a love triangle sometimes detracts from the heightened atmosphere of the banquet; nevertheless, the story’s ingredients blend seamlessly. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency. (June)

Reviewed on 03/21/2025 | Details & Permalink

When government officials usurp defunct ATLantis Adventure Park on behalf of real estate developer Orion Industries in Owl Rock City, an Atlanta suburb, 12-year-old twin brothers Cypress and Oakley decide to commemorate the loss of their beloved childhood water park by making it the set location of their next homemade movie. Budding director Cy insists they make a horror film, putting him at odds with Oak, who yearns to delve into alien conspiracy theories. While filming a stunt that goes sideways, Oak vanishes, leaving Cy—along with their best friend, Jaz—distraught. Unbeknownst to Cy and Jaz, Oak has been abducted by an alien he dubs Lil Rune, who needs his help. When the trio finally reunite, they realize that Orion Industries is hiding an interstellar secret of cosmic proportions. Moses (Kingston and the Magician’s Lost and Found) delivers a pulse-pounding adventure marked by epic stunts, creepy extraterrestrial antagonists, and a plethora of contemporary hip-hop references. It’s an always-moving tale that balances an out-of-this-world premise with heartfelt ruminations on the importance of friendship, family, and, most prominently, indomitable brotherhood. Cy and Oak are Black; Jaz is Black and Italian American. Ages 10–up. (June)

Reviewed on 03/21/2025 | Details & Permalink

Ten-year-old Lindy’s nomadic existence living in a skoolie—a retrofitted school bus—with her influencer parents looks perfect to the outside world because it’s supposed to. But after living a completely staged life for the past two years, Lindy’s initial excitement for adventure has waned, leaving her feeling frustrated and lonely, and questioning the validity of her parents’ love for her. When the skoolie breaks down, the family settles in San Jose to wait out repairs. There, Lindy meets skateboarders Dasha and May, fans of YouTube skateboarder Kentucky Jones; they help Lindy to improve her skating and introduce her to their thriving skater community. Grayscale artwork enhances the story’s emotional impact and includes handy diagrams illustrating the skoolie and skateboarding lingo. Spangler (Fox Point’s Own Gemma Hopper) views the shifting importance of family and friendship in Lindy’s life with the incongruity of a childhood lived on social media in a freewheeling tale about a spirited girl discovering her needs, wants, and personal agency. Most character skin tones echo the hue of the page; Kentucky Jones is depicted with a shaded complexion. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. (June)

Reviewed on 03/21/2025 | Details & Permalink

In an artfully rendered picture book that spans numerous events, a child recounts a Black family’s tradition of standing around a table under a river birch tree that’s draped with Spanish moss. Eady (The Last Stand) movingly traces the occasions, along the way highlighting ideals about what the table represents. In an early scene, generations gather to honor “Grandpa and Grandma... for the family they’ve built.” The child protagonist makes a face as the grandparents exchange loving kisses: “This is the table of love. (Sloppy love, if you ask me.)” The family also celebrates with fireworks and shows up for the narrator’s uncles’ wedding (“This is the table of pride”), before gathering for a low-country boil and a Juneteenth celebration (“This is the table of freedom”). Ladd (When I Hear Spirituals) employs acrylic paint, cut paper, and tissue paper, giving each verdant image impasto-like height, and elegantly underlining themes “Of love. Of hope. Of pride. Of freedom” as the family members come together again and again—never leaving empty-handed. An author’s note concludes. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. Illustrator’s agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (May)

Reviewed on 03/21/2025 | Details & Permalink

“This is the hedge that grew and grew./ The wall of stone a bit askew./ They guard the yard./ The barn does, too.” Gracefully rhythmic verse from late creator Howes (The Reindeer Remainders) celebrates the in-between places through which animals steal. Striking scratchboard spreads show a farm surrounded by rolling hills and dense woods as Caldecott Medalist Krommes uses her signature medium—fine, meticulously etched lines tinged with watercolor against black backgrounds—to create atmospheric illustrations that pulse with dramatic contrast. A dawn spread shows a space where the stone wall has crumbled, creating a gap “where the deer slip through,/ when the sky is still more pink than blue.” A doe and two fawns venture into the garden before retreating, and other secret places (“the hollow the rabbits squeeze through” and “the crack where the lizards creep through”) join the first in building cumulative verses. At nightfall, the lines slow to a sigh, falling silent as humans and deer doze in this lilting hymn to the way woodland life can lurk in surprising places. Human characters are portrayed with pale skin. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Essie White, Storm Literary. (June)

Reviewed on 03/21/2025 | Details & Permalink

The work of illuminating the earth occurs through a patrilinear succession in this validating work from late creator Anderson (the Little Quack series). When Grandpa Sun retires and Father Sun doesn’t want the job, it falls to young Sun, an energetic chap sporting a red vest and a quiff-like flame. But while Sun embraces the weighty responsibility, he faces immediate criticism: clouds, mountains, trees, and city buildings all find fault with his performance. “What makes you think you can light this big world?” says one intimidating peak. When night falls, Sun seeks guidance from his grandfather, who offers wise words: “There are some in this world who will never be happy,” Grandpa Sun tells him. “You have to shine anyway.” Meanwhile, with Sun away, the mountains find themselves cold, the trees wail dramatically about the dark, and the city oversleeps. Realizing that not all criticism is constructive, Sun returns to do his job—and does it brilliantly. Alongside narration that’s poised for those on the cusp of new vistas, ink and digital illustrations have an openhearted sense of humor (clouds are shown perched on swings in the sky), and the portrayal of familiar natural and architectural features as pouters and complainers should generate reader laughs. Ages 4–8. (June)

Reviewed on 03/21/2025 | Details & Permalink

The protagonist of this self-acceptance tale by Liu (Hidden Gem) is a chunky, yellow-green star with big, earnest-looking eyes and a seemingly clear sense of purpose: “I twinkle, tiptoe, and dance,/ looking for wishes to grant.” A self-described “overachiever,” the being nevertheless struggles to handle the dog-eat-dog world of astronomical life, where stars compete to “be number one:/ The star that lost souls wish upon.” Sweating the pressure, it plummets from the sky in what looks like a teardrop-shaped aura. But when two sailors discover the fallen star on Earth and set it in a lighthouse’s lantern room, it realizes, “I’m exactly where I need to be,” guiding ships to safety. Single-plane, full-spread watercolor and digital images, rendered with tissue-paper textures, rounded shapes, and a fanciful sense of scale, depict the star entering Earth’s atmosphere through a literal crack in the sky. While the rhyming text can be workmanlike (“Now I’m upstaged by the lights in Paris,” says the narrator, “Don’t look at me; I’m so embarrassed”), the visuals demonstrate the joy of finding where one truly belongs. Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–6. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (June)

Reviewed on 03/21/2025 | Details & Permalink

Jarvis (The Boy with Flowers in His Hair) describes a beloved ritual shared by a grandfather and grandchild, narrating in the younger’s voice as the duo make their way “through the Wonky Woods and down that path.” Shown in bright colors and a childlike scrawl, the two, portrayed with pale skin, climb over a stile, “where Grandad always said, ‘Careful you don’t hit your head on the sky.’ ” Arriving at Pebble Beach, the two choose a rock apiece; settle into an abandoned boat on the shore, The Jolly Dancer; and use their paintbox to decorate pebbles that they add to an ever-growing assortment, shown from above. When Grandad moves away, change begets more change, and it’s the narrator’s turn to take someone else to the favorite spot. Later, the pebble collection remains, to be seen and remembered: “I don’t often go to that beach anymore, but when I do, I visit our pebbles. A little faded, but still here.” Musing on the pleasures of appreciating both a place (“Nobody knew the beach like us”) and one-on-one time with a loved one (“Silly old Grandad”), this sweetly elegiac work traces the way delight can become memory. Ages 3–7. (June)

Reviewed on 03/21/2025 | Details & Permalink

A figure-skating competition offers an opportunity for a child to explore individual expression in this personal-feeling picture book by Dumont, who is of Ojibway heritage. Young narrator Edwin, who has practiced all year for the event, looks forward to dressing for the performance, “dreaming of who I can become” in sister Patsy’s closet. “Going in as one person and coming out as another” is part of the wardrobe’s allure as, wearing earrings, makeup, and a wig, Edwin transforms into Edweena Louisa: it’s “the first time my classmates will see me wear a dress and heels.” Fearing disapproval despite the excitement, Edweena heads to the rink, where affirming reactions lead to the triumphant child feeling that “I’ve already won.” Cho’s scratchy, star-splashed illustrations portray would-be naysayers using monochromatic filters, while Edweena appears vibrant on every page. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Publishes simultaneously in a dual Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) and English edition. Ages 6–8. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 03/14/2025 | Details & Permalink

When trouser-loving Ava receives an invitation to a quinceañera, her mother carts her off to the mall for a new dress. Ava dutifully tries on one after another, but “dresses itch and pinch, squish and squash, ride up or fall down, and plain get in the way,” reactions shown in a comic series of vignettes. Repeating “I want to dance in pants,” she finally persuades her mother, then chooses a bright blue suit with colorful embellishments. At the quinceañera, the choice draws a crowd of dress-clad revelers and leads to a group revelation: “We want to dance in pants!” And an upcoming wedding sees more than just Ava cutting a rug in comfortable garb—even adults get in on the pantsuit action. Modeling advocacy around self-expression and sensory needs, the Hernandezes’ text prioritizes personal limits over social norms, while animation-style art from Martinez leans fittingly into depictions of physical comfort and discomfort. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Back matter includes a creator’s note about sensory processing. Ages 6–7. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 03/14/2025 | Details & Permalink