February 1 is Lunar New Year and it is the Year of the Tiger! Whether you’re celebrating or hoping to learn more about Lunar New Year traditions, we have some books for you.
Books about the Lunar New Year:
Alex’s Good Fortune By Benson Shum 32 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover ISBN 9780593222942 | Penguin Workshop
Chinese New Year is the most important holiday for Alex and her family, so it’s even more special when she gets to share her favorite traditions with her best friend, Ethan. Together, they join the Chinese New Year parade and get to help make the dragon dance. Then they prepare for the festivities by tidying up, decorating, and making dumplings. After that, it’s time to open red envelopes, eat a great big feast, and enjoy the lantern festival! Complete with fun facts about the holiday in the back of the book, young readers will want to revisit this story again and again.
Baby Loves Lunar Phases on Chinese New Year! By Ruth Spiro
Illustrated by Irene Chan 20 Pages | Ages 0-3 | Board Book ISBN 9781623543068 | Charlesbridge
While celebrating Chinese New Year, Baby discovers the science behind lunar phases! Accurate enough to satisfy an expert, yet simple enough for baby, this clever board book explores the lunar calendar, the moon’s orbit, and the reason the moon seems to change shape. Beautiful, visually stimulating illustrations complement age-appropriate language to encourage baby’s sense of wonder. Parents and caregivers may learn a thing or two as well.
Lunar New Year Mad Libs By Ellen Lee 48 Pages | Ages 8-12 | Paperback ISBN 9780593383926 | Mad Libs
Ring in the holiday with some ADJECTIVE firecrackers and COLOR envelopes, and celebrate Lunar New Year with your family, friends, and Mad Libs! Lunar New Year (also known as Chinese New Year) is here, and Mad Libs is joining in the celebrations with Lunar New Year Mad Libs! Filled with good cheer and good fortune, these 21 fill-in-the-blank stories about the traditions and joy of the holiday will have the whole family ready to ring in the new year together.
Maisy’s Chinese New Year By Lucy Cousins 32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Paperback ISBN 9781536216783 | Candlewick
Tomorrow is Chinese New Year, and Maisy’s friend Tiger is coming home for the occasion. Hooray! Tiger has brought some beautiful gifts, some with a special symbol that means good luck. Maisy has asked all her friends to her house to celebrate with a delicious feast, and Penguin and Ostrich are handing out lucky red packets with money inside. Now it’s time for Tiger to tell the story of Chinese New Year, while everyone stays up late for fireworks. But the best is to come on New Year’s Day, when Maisy and all her friends take part in a dragon dance! Vivid with red and gold, this First Experiences book – featuring a simple visual glossary of common Chinese New Year’s objects – will be a favorite of little ones new to the tradition as well as those for whom it’s a beloved event.
The 12 Days of Lunar New Year By Jenna Lettice
Illustrated by Colleen Madden 24 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Paperback ISBN 9780593306789 | Random House BFYR
Count out twelve ways to celebrate Lunar New Year! This cheery addition to the 12 Days series celebrates tradition, culture, and family in the lead-up to Lunar New Year! Young readers and their caregivers will enjoy counting all the different ways they can engage with their communities and honor their ancestors. This simple rhyming story is paired with warm illustrations and a full page of stickers, making these books the perfect gift for kids
Stories to share:
Ten Little Dumplings By Larissa Fan
Illustrated by Cindy Wume 48 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover ISBN 9780735266193 | Puffin Canada In the city of Tainan, there lives a very special family – special because they have ten sons who do everything together. Their parents call them their ten little dumplings, as both sons and dumplings are auspicious. But if you look closely, you’ll see that someone else is there, listening, studying, learning and discovering her own talent – a sister. As this little girl grows up in the shadow of her brothers, her determination and persistence help her to create her own path in the world . . . and becomes the wisdom she passes on to her own daughter, her own little dumpling. Based on a short film made by the author, inspired by her father’s family in Taiwan, Ten Little Dumplings looks at some unhappy truths about the place of girls in our world in an accessible, inspiring and hopeful way.
January 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It’s important for us to remember and acknowledge the horrors and sometimes books can help start those conversations.
Picture Books:
I am Anne Frank
By Brad Meltzer
Illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos
40 Pages | Ages 5-9 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780525555940 | Dial BFYR
This engaging biography series focuses on the traits that made our heroes great – the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves. Each book tells the story of an icon in a lively, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers. At the back are an excellent timeline and photos. This volume features Anne Frank, whose courage and hope during a time of terror are still an inspiration for people around the world today. While Anne and her family hid in an attic during the Holocaust, she kept a journal about all her hopes and fears and observations. That journal and the story of her life are still read and told today to remember the life of a young girl and warn against the consequences of bigotry.
The Cat Who Lived With Anne Frank
By David Lee Miller and Steven Jay Rubin
Illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley
40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781524741501 | Philomel BFYR
When Mouschi the cat goes with his boy, Peter, to a secret annex, he meets a girl named Anne. Bright, kind and loving, Anne dreams of freedom and of becoming a writer whose words change the world. But Mouschi, along with Anne and her family and friends, must stay hidden, hoping for the war to end and for a better future. Told from the perspective of the cat who actually lived with Anne Frank in the famous Amsterdam annex, this poignant book paints a picture of a young girl who wistfully dreams of a better life for herself and her friends, tentatively wonders what mark she might leave on the world, and, above all, adamantly believes in the goodness of people. Accompanied by beautiful, vivid art, this book is a perfect introduction to a serious topic for younger readers, especially at a time when respect and inclusion are so important.
Middle Grade:
Broken Strings By Eric Walters and Kathy Kacer
288 Pages | Ages 10-14 | Paperback
ISBN 9780735266261 | Puffin Canada
It’s 2002. In the aftermath of the twin towers, Shirli Berman is intent on moving forward. The best singer in her junior high, she auditions for the lead role in Fiddler on the Roof, but is crushed to learn that she’s been given the part of the old Jewish mother in the musical rather than the coveted part of the sister. But there is an upside: her “husband” is none other than Ben Morgan, the cutest and most popular boy in the school. Deciding to throw herself into the role, she rummages in her grandfather’s attic for some props. There, she discovers an old violin in the corner – strange, since her Zayde has never seemed to like music, never even going to any of her recitals. Showing it to her grandfather unleashes an anger in him she has never seen before, and while she is frightened of what it might mean, Shirli keeps trying to connect with her Zayde and discover the awful reason behind his anger. A long-kept family secret spills out, and Shirli learns the true power of music, both terrible and wonderful.
Letters from Cuba
By Ruth Behar
272 Pages | Ages 10+ | Hardcover
ISBN 9780525516477 | Nancy Paulsen Books
The situation is getting dire for Jews in Poland on the eve of World War II. Esther’s father has fled to Cuba, and she is the first one to join him. It’s heartbreaking to be separated from her beloved sister, so Esther promises to write down everything that happens until they’re reunited. And she does, recording both the good – the kindness of the Cuban people and her discovery of a valuable hidden talent – and the bad: the fact that Nazism has found a foothold even in Cuba. Esther’s evocative letters are full of her appreciation for life and reveal a resourceful, determined girl with a rare ability to bring people together, all the while striving to get the rest of their family out of Poland before it’s too late. Based on Ruth Behar’s family history, this compelling story celebrates the resilience of the human spirit in the most challenging times.
What Was the Holocaust?
By Gail Herman and Who HQ
Illustrated by Jerry Hoare
112 Pages | Ages 8-12 | Paperback
ISBN 9780451533906 | Penguin Workshop
The Holocaust was a genocide on a scale never before seen, with as many as twelve million people killed in Nazi death camps – six million of them Jews. Gail Herman traces the rise of Hitler and the Nazis, whose rabid anti-Semitism led first to humiliating anti-Jewish laws, then to ghettos all over Eastern Europe, and ultimately to the Final Solution. She presents just enough information for an elementary-school audience in a readable, well-researched book that covers one of the most horrible times in history.
White Bird: A Wonder Story
By R.J. Palacio
224 Pages | Ages 8-12 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780525645535 | Knopf BFYR
In R. J. Palacio’s bestselling collection of stories Auggie & Me, which expands on characters in Wonder, readers were introduced to Julian’s grandmother, Grandmère. Here, Palacio makes her graphic novel debut with Grandmère’s heartrending story: how she, a young Jewish girl, was hidden by a family in a Nazi-occupied French village during World War II; how the boy she and her classmates once shunned became her savior and best friend. Sara’s harrowing experience movingly demonstrates the power of kindness to change hearts, build bridges, and even save lives. As Grandmère tells Julian, “It always takes courage to be kind, but in those days, such kindness could cost you everything.” With poignant symbolism and gorgeous artwork that brings Sara’s story out of the past and cements it firmly in this moment in history, White Bird is sure to captivate anyone who was moved by the book Wonder or the blockbuster movie adaptation and its message.
Young Adult:
What the Night Sings By Vesper Stamper
272 Pages | Ages 12+ | Hardcover
ISBN 9781524700386 | Knopf BFYR
After losing her family and everything she knew in the Nazi concentration camps, Gerta is finally liberated, only to find herself completely alone. Without her papa, her music, or even her true identity, she must move past the task of surviving and on to living her life. In the displaced persons camp where she is staying, Gerta meets Lev, a fellow teen survivor who she just might be falling for, despite her feelings for someone else. With a newfound Jewish identity she never knew she had, and a return to the life of music she thought she lost forever, Gerta must choose how to build a new future.
The Book Thief By Markus Zusak
608 Pages | Ages 12+| Paperback
ISBN 9780375842207 | Knopf BFYR
3:47 a.m. That’s when they come for Wren Clemmens. She’s hustled out of her house and into a waiting car, then a plane, and then taken on a forced march into the desert. This is what happens to kids who’ve gone so far off the rails, their parents don’t know what to do with them anymore. This is wilderness therapy camp. Eight weeks of survivalist camping in the desert. Eight weeks to turn your life around. Yeah, right. The Wren who arrives in the Utah desert is angry and bitter, and blaming everyone but herself. But angry can’t put up a tent. And bitter won’t start a fire. Wren’s going to have to admit she needs help if she’s going to survive.
The Red Ribbon
By Lucy Adlington
288 Pages | Ages 12+ | Hardcover
ISBN 9781536201048 | Candlewick
Three weeks after being detained on her way home from school, fourteen-year-old Ella finds herself in the Upper Tailoring Studio, a sewing workshop inside a Nazi concentration camp. There, two dozen skeletal women toil over stolen sewing machines. They are the seamstresses of Birchwood, stitching couture dresses for a perilous client list: wives of the camp’s Nazi overseers and the female SS officers who make prisoners’ lives miserable. It is a workshop where stylish designs or careless stitches can mean life or death. And it is where Ella meets Rose. As thoughtful and resilient as the dressmakers themselves, Rose and Ella’s story is one of courage, desperation, and hope – hope as delicate and as strong as silk, as vibrant as a red ribbon in a sea of gray.
Here at Penguin Random House Canada, we’re lucky to work with so many different publisher lists. This holiday season, we’ll be highlighting each one with a dedicated post to help you find the perfect gift (or your next read). Today’s post spotlights Candlewick Press.
20 Big Trucks in the Middle of Christmas By Mark Lee Illustrated by Kurt Cyrus 32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781536212532 | Candlewick The snowy town is filling up with a procession of trucks of all shapes and sizes, including a snowplow, a crane, a digger, a semitrailer transporting the town’s majestic Christmas tree, and even a flatbed carrying Santa’s sleigh. All in all, twenty trucks roll in full of sparkle and anticipation, ready to set up the holiday festivities. But when the star being hoisted to the top of the Christmas tree wobbles and crashes to the ground, what could possibly be used to replace it? Thankfully, a pair of siblings scan the scene and come up with the perfect solution. Author Mark Lee and illustrator Kurt Cyrus team up again for a buoyant story delivering satisfying rhymes, holiday spirit, and most importantly, twenty trucks for counting.
Amber and Clay By Laura Amy Schlitz Illustrated by Julia Iredale 544 Pages | Ages 10-14 | Hardcover ISBN 9781536201222 | Candlewick In a warlike land of wind and sunlight, “ringed by a restless sea,” live Rhaskos and Melisto, spiritual twins with little in common beyond the violent and mysterious forces that dictate their lives. A Thracian slave in a Greek household, Rhaskos is as common as clay, a stable boy worth less than a donkey, much less a horse. Wrenched from his mother at a tender age, he nurtures in secret, aided by Socrates, his passions for art and philosophy. Melisto is a spoiled aristocrat, a girl as precious as amber but willful and wild. She’ll marry and be tamed – the curse of all highborn girls – but risk her life for a season first to serve Artemis, goddess of the hunt. Bound by destiny, Melisto and Rhaskos – Amber and Clay – never meet in the flesh. By the time they do, one of them is a ghost. But the thin line between life and death is just one boundary their unlikely friendship crosses. It takes an army of snarky gods and fearsome goddesses, slaves and masters, mothers and philosophers to help shape their story into a gorgeously distilled, symphonic tour de force. Blending verse, prose, and illustrated archaeological “artifacts,” this is a tale that vividly transcends time, an indelible reminder of the power of language to illuminate the over- and underworlds of human history.
Bake, Make, and Learn to Cook: Fun and Healthy Recipes for Young Cooks By David Atherton Illustrated by Rachel Stubbs 88 Pages | Ages 5-9 | Hardcover ISBN 9781536219364 | Candlewick Gather your frying pan, mixing bowls, and rolling pin – it’s time to cook! David Atherton, 2019 winner of The Great British Baking Show, walks readers through delicious and delightful recipes such as banana bear pancakes, tasty tacos, and mega-chocolatey cake. From tomato soup (served in a teapot!) to brownies made with sweet potatoes, David Atherton offers a kid-friendly collection of recipes that feels at once timeless and modern. Accompanied by warm illustrations from Rachel Stubbs that capture the joys of cooking together, Bake, Make, and Learn to Cook features sweet and savory recipes for any time of day, a list of needed equipment, a glossary of cooking terms, and some important tips. Don your apron and grab your favorite little sous-chef – this will be a first cookbook to cherish.
Idol Gossip By Alexandra Leigh Young 352 Pages | Ages 12+ | Hardcover ISBN 9781536213645 | Walker Books US Every Friday after school, seventeen-year-old Alice Choy and her little sister, Olivia, head to Myeongdong to sing karaoke. Back in San Francisco, when she still had friends and earthly possessions, Alice took regular singing lessons. But since their diplomat mom moved them to Seoul, her only musical outlet is vamping it up in a private karaoke booth to an audience of one: her loyal sister. Then a scout for Top10 Entertainment, one of the biggest K-pop companies, hears her and offers her a spot at their Star Academy. Can Alice navigate the culture clashes, egos, and extreme training practices of K-pop to lead her group onstage before a stadium of 50,000 chanting fans – and just maybe strike K-pop gold? Not if a certain influential blogger and the anti-fans get their way. . . . This debut novel is about standing out and fitting in, dreaming big and staying true. It will speak to fans of K-pop and to anyone who is trying to take their talents to the next level.
Jasmine Green Rescues: A Donkey Called Mistletoe By Helen Peters Illustrated by Ellie Snowdon 160 Pages | Ages 7-9 | Paperback ISBN 9781536222463 | Walker Books When Jasmine and her best friend, Tom, visit their neighbor Mr. Hobson to help him with some chores, they discover that he is selling his farm and moving to a nearby assisted living facility. Because Mr. Hobson won’t have a home for his beloved donkey, Mistletoe, anymore, he is planning to send him to a faraway sanctuary. Jasmine doesn’t want to see them separated, so she hatches a plan to keep Mistletoe at Oak Tree Farm, where Mr. Hobson could visit him whenever he liked. But caring for a donkey is lots of work (as Jasmine’s parents often remind her), especially with her mischievous younger brother around. When the school nativity play encounters a mishap, though, Jasmine realizes she may have the perfect understudy right in her backyard. From author Helen Peters and illustrator Ellie Snowdon, this latest book in the Jasmine Green Rescues series offers a heartwarming tale of multigenerational friendship and holiday spirit.
Jingle Bells: A Musical Instrument Song Book By James Lord Pierpont Illustrated by Nicola Slater 10 Pages | Ages 0-2 | Hardcover ISBN 9781536222036 | Nosy Crow Listen and sing along as the merry band of musicians go on a sleigh ride, playing their instruments along the way. Then join in as they all play together in the festive finale! Nicola Slater’s charming illustrations combined with real instrumental music make this sound-button board book an irresistible Christmas gift.
Over the Shop By JonArno Lawson Illustrated by Qin Leng 48 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781536201475 | Candlewick A lonely little girl and her grandparent need to fill the run-down apartment in their building. But taking over the quarters above their store will mean major renovations for the new occupants, and none of the potential renters can envision the possibilities of the space – until one special couple shows up. With their ingenuity, the little girl’s big heart, and heaps of hard work, the desperate fixer-upper begins to change in lovely and surprising ways. In this bustling wordless picture book, JonArno Lawson’s touching story and Qin Leng’s gentle illustrations capture all angles of the building’s transformation, as well as the evolving perspectives of the girl and her grandparent. A warm and subtly nuanced tale, Over the Shop throws open the doors to what it means to accept people for who they are and to fill your home with love and joy.
Stink: The Stupendously Super-Sonic Collection By Megan McDonald Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds Ages 6-9 | Paperback Box Set ISBN 9781536223002 | Candlewick Stink Moody: fact freak, science star, and encyclopedia enthusiast. He’s always up to learning more and sharing some out-of-this-world comics! Readers won’t want to miss out on this paperback boxed set of Stink’s first six books, with fresh covers sure to catch the eye. Included are: The Incredible Shrinking Kid, Stink and the Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker, Stink and the World’s Worst Super-Stinky Sneakers, Stink and the Great Guinea Pig Express, Solar System Superhero, and Stink and the Ultimate Thumb-Wrestling Smackdown.
The Beatryce Prophecy: Gift Edition By Kate DiCamillo Illustrated by Sophie Blackall 256 Pages | Ages 8-12 | Hardcover ISBN 9781536218671 | Candlewick This collector’s edition of The Beatryce Prophecy, packaged in a keepsake box with a ribbon enclosure, includes an exclusive full-color piece of artwork, as well as a special beautifully decorated scroll with a story written by two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo and illustrated in full color by two-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall. In a time of war, a mysterious child appears at the monastery of the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing. Gentle Brother Edik finds the girl, Beatryce, curled in a stall, wracked with fever, coated in dirt and blood, and holding fast to the ear of Answelica the goat. As the monk nurses Beatryce to health, he uncovers her dangerous secret, one that imperils them all – for the king of the land seeks just such a girl, and Brother Edik, who penned the prophecy himself, knows why. And so it is that a girl with a head full of stories – powerful tales-within-the-tale of queens and kings, mermaids and wolves – ventures into a dark wood in search of the castle of one who wishes her dead.
The Heartbreak Bakery By A.R. Capetta 352 Pages | Ages 14+ | Hardcover ISBN 9781536216530 | Candlewick Syd (no pronouns, please) has always dealt with big, hard-to-talk-about things by baking. Being dumped is no different, except now Syd is baking at the Proud Muffin, a queer bakery and community space in Austin. And everyone who eats Syd’s breakup brownies . . . breaks up. Even Vin and Alec, who own the Proud Muffin. And their breakup might take the bakery down with it. Being dumped is one thing; causing ripples of queer heartbreak through the community is another. But the cute bike delivery person, Harley (he or they, check the pronoun pin, it’s probably on the messenger bag), believes Syd about the magic baking. And Harley believes Syd’s magical baking can fix things, too – one recipe at a time.
The Rock from the Sky By Jon Klassen 96 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover ISBN 9781536215632 | Candlewick There is a spot. It is a good spot. It is the perfect spot to stand. There is no reason to ever leave. But somewhere above there is also a rock. A rock from the sky. Here comes The Rock from the Sky, a hilarious meditation on the workings of friendship, fate, shared futuristic visions, and that funny feeling you get that there’s something off somewhere, but you just can’t put your finger on it. Merging broad visual suspense with wry wit, celebrated picture book creator Jon Klassen gives us a wholly original comedy for the ages.
To the Moon and Back Slipcase Set By Sam McBratney Illustrated by Anita Jeram Ages 3-7 | Hardcover Box Set ISBN 9781536222210 | Candlewick It’s the book that gave rise to the words “I love you right up to the moon – and back” – a phrase that’s now in the common vernacular. This tale of a big and little hare who boast of loving each other as high as they can hop and as wide as they can reach has been adored by a generation of children who’ve begun sharing it with their own. Twenty-five years after the Nutbrown Hares met the world, creatorsSam McBratney and Anita Jeram brought us the perfect companion – the story of Little Nutbrown Hare’s jubilant steps toward independence after meeting a new friend. Now, in an elegant slipcase, Guess How Much I Love You and Will You Be My Friend? find a special spot together on bookshelves – a pairing sure to be coveted by big and little readers for generations to come.
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas By Clement C. Moore Illustrated by P.J. Lynch 32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover ISBN 9781536222852 | Candlewick P.J. Lynch brings his rich and atmospheric art to the well-loved holiday poem. Children will pore over every cozy detail in these warm, sweeping watercolor illustrations – from snug mice to stockings hung by the chimney with care to toys in the bundle flung over merry St. Nicholas’s back. A glowing interpretation of a favorite read-aloud, this is a keepsake volume to cherish and return to year after year.
Where Snow Angels Go By Maggie O’Farrell Illustrated by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini 72 Pages | Ages 7-10 | Hardcover ISBN 9781536219371 | Candlewick One night Sylvie awakens to an incredible sight: a glowing figure tiptoeing across her floor, with enormous feathery wings wafting from his back. He’s muttering to himself, trying to remember his orders, for this is his first flight. Could he really be the same angel she made last winter in the snow? Sylvie’s angel says she isn’t supposed to see him. He has been sent to save her life, and when the danger is past, she won’t remember he was there. But she does remember. She thinks of him every day. And when nothing Sylvie does, no matter how risky, can make him reappear, she realizes he’ll always be there unseen when she truly needs him. In a contemporary tale told with humor and warmth, paired with Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini’s enchanting artwork, Maggie O’Farrell weaves the story of a spirited girl who finds a way to bring magic into her own house – and enlist it to bring a sense of wonder to those she loves.
Where’s Waldo? Santa Spotlight Search By Martin Handford 16 Pages | Ages 5-9 | Hardcover ISBN 9781536220131 | Candlewick Shake your sleigh bells, pull on your holiday sweater, and join in the festive madness! These night-time scenes are bustling with Santas getting ready for Christmas Eve. With the help of a magic slider to light up one spot at a time, can you find some very specific Santas – like the one whose stocking is threadbare? Or the ones who are slimmer than most? And by the way, where are Waldo and all his friends – Wenda, Odlaw, Wizard Whitebeard, and Woof? Featuring super-challenging searches as well as puzzles and games, Santa’s Spotlight Search promises many hours of merriment for seasoned Waldo fans and new followers alike.
Looking for a good gift for the bookworm in your life? Here are a bunch of box sets to keep them occupied for days!
Picture Books
Big Ideas for Little Philosophers Box Set
By Duane Armitage and Maureen McQuerry
Illustrated by Robin Rosenthal
Ages 0-3 | Board Box Set
ISBN 9780593111703 | Putnam BFYR
An exciting board book set about asking deep questions in a wonderfully accessibly way. This box set features four board books on prominent philosophers and their main teachings: Imagination with René Descartes, Equality with Simone de Beauvoir, Happiness with Aristotle, and Truth with Socrates. Through bold illustrations and relatable scenes, these concepts are explored in an accessible way for kids that allows them to connect these big ideas to their lives.
To the Moon and Back Slipcase Set
By Sam McBratney
Illustrated by Anita Jeram
Ages 3-7 | Hardcover Box Set
ISBN 9781536222210 | Candlewick
It’s the book that gave rise to the words “I love you right up to the moon – and back” – a phrase that’s now in the common vernacular. This tale of a big and little hare who boast of loving each other as high as they can hop and as wide as they can reach has been adored by a generation of children who’ve begun sharing it with their own. Twenty-five years after the Nutbrown Hares met the world, creatorsSam McBratney and Anita Jeram brought us the perfect companion – the story of Little Nutbrown Hare’s jubilant steps toward independence after meeting a new friend. Now, in an elegant slipcase, Guess How Much I Love You and Will You Be My Friend? find a special spot together on bookshelves – a pairing sure to be coveted by big and little readers for generations to come.
Chapter Books/Graphic Novels
A Waffle Lot of Narwhal and Jelly (Hardcover Books 1-5)
By Ben Clanton
Ages 6-9 | Hardcover Box Set
ISBN 9780735271364 | Tundra Books
The first five books in this bestselling series are now available in a hardcover box set. The perfect gift for hours of underwater fun! The Narwhal and Jelly books are delightfully silly graphic novels full of positivity, friendship and playful adventure. This fintastic hardcover collection includes the following five titles: Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea!, Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Narwhal’s Otter Friend, and Happy Narwhalidays.
Stink: The Super-Incredible Collection
By Megan McDonald
Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Ages 6-9 | Paperback Box Set
ISBN 9781536223026 | Candlewick
Stink Moody – encyclopedia in hand, zany schemes in mind, and comical comebacks at the ready – stands tall in this boxed set of his first three books filled with cool facts, delightful idioms, and outrageous comics. Now it’s easy for young readers to jump-start their Stink collection with this refreshed set offering a trio of titles: The Incredible Shrinking Kid, Stink and the Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker, and Stink and the World’s Worst Super-Stinky Sneakers.
Stink: The Stupendously Super-Sonic Collection
By Megan McDonald
Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Ages 6-9 | Paperback Box Set
ISBN 9781536223002 | Candlewick
Stink Moody: fact freak, science star, and encyclopedia enthusiast. He’s always up to learning more and sharing some out-of-this-world comics! Readers won’t want to miss out on this paperback boxed set of Stink’s first six books, with fresh covers sure to catch the eye. Included are: The Incredible Shrinking Kid, Stink and the Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker, Stink and the World’s Worst Super-Stinky Sneakers, Stink and the Great Guinea Pig Express, Solar System Superhero, and Stink and the Ultimate Thumb-Wrestling Smackdown.
Where’s Waldo? The Ultimate Waldo Watcher Collection
By Martin Handford
Ages 5-9 | Hardcover Box Set
ISBN 9781536215113 | Candlewick
Ready yourself for hours of searching with this slipcase full of Waldo’s best-selling adventures. This cool collection features seven puzzling classics – each including a spread full of new games and searches, and redesigned with a cohesive new look. Line them all up and you may even find the titular wanderer along their spines! Inside you’ll find: Where’s Waldo?, Where’s Waldo Now?, Where’s Waldo? The Fantastic Journey, Where’s Waldo? In Hollywood, Where’s Waldo? The Wonder Book, Where’s Waldo? The Great Picture Hunt, and Where’s Waldo? The Great Paper Chase.
Middle Grade
A Tale Dark & Grimm Complete Trilogy
By Adam Gidwitz
Ages 10+ | Paperback Box Set
ISBN 9780593530283 | Dutton BFYR
Never before available, this brand-new paperback box set is perfect for Adam Gidwitz fans old and new. This stunning collection includes all three books in the Newbery Honor-winning author’s bestselling series. Hansel and Gretel. Jack and Jill. Witches, beanstalks, and talking frogs. Murderous mermaids, giants, and bakers with ovens just right for baking children. Follow your favorite characters as they run away from their own stories and embark on thrilling new adventures. They may be frightening. They may be terrible. They may be Grimm. But unlike those other fairy tales you know, these tales are true.
Disasters!: A Who HQ Collection
By Who HQ
Ages 8-12 | Paperback Box Set
ISBN 9780593519387 | Penguin Workshop
An eight-book box set from the creators of the New York Times Best-Selling What Was? series that details the most famous disasters in history, including the Titanic, Pompeii, and the Great Depression. Perfect for curious young readers, these eight titles provide exciting details about notable tragedies throughout history. Learn about the impact of catastrophes like the Titanic, Pompeii, the San Francisco Earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, the Hindenburg, the Great Chicago Fire, and Pearl Harbor in this complete collection of iconic historical moments. With black-and-white illustrations and an easy-to-read narrative in each book, readers will be able to quickly learn about the shock and aftermath of these disasters.
The Beatryce Prophecy: Gift Edition
By Kate DiCamillo
Illustrated by Sophie Blackall
256 Pages | Ages 8-12 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781536218671 | Candlewick
This collector’s edition of The Beatryce Prophecy, packaged in a keepsake box with a ribbon enclosure, includes an exclusive full-color piece of artwork, as well as a special beautifully decorated scroll with a story written by two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo and illustrated in full color by two-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall. In a time of war, a mysterious child appears at the monastery of the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing. Gentle Brother Edik finds the girl, Beatryce, curled in a stall, wracked with fever, coated in dirt and blood, and holding fast to the ear of Answelica the goat. As the monk nurses Beatryce to health, he uncovers her dangerous secret, one that imperils them all – for the king of the land seeks just such a girl, and Brother Edik, who penned the prophecy himself, knows why. And so it is that a girl with a head full of stories – powerful tales-within-the-tale of queens and kings, mermaids and wolves – ventures into a dark wood in search of the castle of one who wishes her dead.
The Rock Box!: A Who HQ Collection
By Who HQ
Ages 8-12 | Paperback Box Set
ISBN 9780593519370 | Penguin Workshop
A ten-book box set dedicated to some of the most famous rock-and-roll artists of all time, from the creators of the #1 New York Times Best-Selling Who Was? series. Learn about the early lives and exciting careers of the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen, and Bono. The Rock Box celebrates the musicians who have made us sing along to their songs for decades. With black-and-white illustrations and an easy-to-read narrative in each book, readers will enjoy discovering more about the history of the artists that shaped today’s music.
Young Adult
Karen M. McManus 2-Book Box Set
By Karen M. McManus
Ages 14+ | Hardcover Box Set
ISBN 9780593178751 | Delacorte Press
In One of Us Is Lying, five students walk into detention, and only four walk out. According to investigators, the last student’s death wasn’t an accident. He was planning to post juicy reveals about all four of his classmates the next day, which makes them each suspects. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose? In One of Us Is Next, a ton of copycat gossip apps have popped up since Simon died, but in the year after no one’s been able to fill the gossip void quite like he could. The problem is no one has the facts. Until now. This time it’s not an app, though – it’s a game. Truth or Dare. And if you’re smart, you’ll always take the dare.
The Ruta Sepetys Collection
By Ruta Sepetys
Ages 12+ | Paperback Box Set
ISBN 9780593352861 | Philomel Books
Discover #1 New York Times bestselling author Ruta Sepetys from the beginning. Featuring beautiful new cover art, this collection includes paperback editions of her award-winning, critically acclaimed body of work, including Between Shades of Gray, Out of the Easy, Salt to the Sea, and The Fountains of Silence.
The Saturday after Black Friday is usually called Small Business Saturday to encourage and remind us to shop and support local businesses. Here are some books about celebrating local shops and books where kids take matters into their own hands and start their own businesses.
J.D. and the Great Barber Battle
By J. Dillard
Illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts
128 Pages | Ages 6-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593111529 | Kokila
J.D. has a big problem – it’s the night before the start of third grade and his mom has just given him his first and worst home haircut. When the steady stream of insults from the entire student body of Douglass Elementary becomes too much for J.D., he takes matters into his own hands and discovers that, unlike his mom, he’s a genius with the clippers. His work makes him the talk of the town and brings him enough hair business to open a barbershop from his bedroom. But when Henry Jr., the owner of the only official local barbershop, realizes he’s losing clients to J.D., he tries to shut him down for good. How do you find out who’s the best barber in all of Meridian, Mississippi? With a GREAT BARBER BATTLE!
Katie the Catsitter
By Colleen AF Venable
Illustrated by Stephanie Yue
224 Pages | Ages 8-12 | Paperback
ISBN 9781984895639 | Random House BFYR
Katie is dreading the boring summer ahead while her best friends are all away at camp – something that’s way out of Katie and her mom’s budget, UNLESS Katie can figure out a way to earn the money for camp herself. But when Katie gets a job catsitting for her mysterious upstairs neighbor, life get interesting. First, Madeline has 217 cats (!) and they’re not exactly . . . normal cats. Also, why is Madeline always out EXACTLY when the city’s most notorious villain commits crimes?! Is it possible that Katie’s upstairs neighbor is really a super villain? Can Katie wrangle a whole lot of wayward cats, save a best friendship (why is Beth barely writing back? And who’s this boy she keeps talking about?!), AND crack the biggest story in the city’s history? Some heroes have capes . . . Katie has cats!
Marcus Makes a Movie
By Kevin Hart and Geoff Rodkey
Illustrated by David Cooper
208 Pages | Ages 8-12 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593179147 | Crown BFYR
Marcus is NOT happy to be stuck in after-school film class . . . until he realizes he can turn the story of the cartoon superhero he’s been drawing for years into an actual MOVIE! There’s just one problem: he has no idea what he’s doing. So he’ll need help, from his friends, his teachers, Sierra, the strong-willed classmate with creative dreams of her own, even Tyrell, the local bully who’d be a perfect movie villain if he weren’t too terrifying to talk to. Making this movie won’t be easy. But as Marcus discovers, nothing great ever is – and if you want your dream to come true, you’ve got to put in the hustle to make it happen. Comedy superstar Kevin Hart teams up with award-winning author Geoff Rodkey and lauded illustrator David Cooper for a hilarious, illustrated, and inspiring story about bringing your creative goals to life and never giving up, even when nothing’s going your way.
Marty
By Rachel Noble
Illustrated by Zoey Abbott
32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780823446629 | Holiday House
Marty is a tiny green Martian who lives here on Earth. You’ve never noticed him before, because he is undercover . . . Marty wears disguises and studies human behavior in order to fit in. He is always watching, learning, and laughing. And then one day, after much preparation, Marty gets a job! He loves to watch his customers, and he even makes some friends. But Marty knows he can never reveal his secret. Humans are terrified of Martians. When his cover gets blown, Marty needs somewhere safe to go. Who will see beyond his strange, green looks to show him kindness?
Middle School’s a Drag, You Better Werk!
By Greg Howard
336 Pages | Ages 10+ | Paperback
ISBN 9780525517542 | Putnam BFYR
Twelve-year-old Mikey Pruitt is a budding entrepreneur. Inspired by his grandfather Pap Pruitt, who successfully ran all sorts of businesses, Mikey is still looking for his million-dollar idea. Unfortunately, most of his ideas – from a roadside general store to croquet lessons – haven’t taken off. It isn’t until kid drag queen Coco Caliente, Mistress of Madness and Mayhem (aka eighth grader Julian Vasquez) walks into his office (aka his family’s storage/laundry room) looking for a talent agent that Mikey thinks he’s finally found a business that will put him on the map, and the Anything Talent and Pizzazz Agency is born! Soon, Mikey has a whole roster of kid clients looking to hit it big or at least win the middle school talent show’s hundred-dollar prize. As newly out Mikey prepares Julian for the gig of a lifetime, he realizes there’s no rulebook for being gay – and if Julian can be openly gay at school, maybe Mikey can, too, and tell his crush, the dreamy Colton Sanford, how he feels. Full of laughs, sass, and hijinks, this hilarious, heartfelt story shows that with a little effort and a lot of love, anything is possible.
Our Corner Grocery Store
By Joanne Schwartz
Illustrated by Laura Beingessner
32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781770491267 | Tundra Books
Anna Maria takes great pleasure and pride in her grandparents’ corner grocery store. Every Saturday she spends the day helping to arrange fruits and vegetables, greet the customers, and keep things neat and tidy. Through her day we meet the neighbors and learn what an important part the corner grocery store plays in the community. Nonno Domenico, Nonna Rosa, and Anna Maria supply more than goods as the steady stream of customers arrives. Lunches are made, news is shared, bargains are purchased, recipes are traded, and cheerful ciaos are called. By the end of a long day, Anna Maria has a true sense of just how wonderful the sights and smells within the store are and how much they mean to everyone.
Over the Shop
By JonArno Lawson
Illustrated by Qin Leng
48 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781536201475 | Candlewick
A lonely little girl and her grandparent need to fill the run-down apartment in their building. But taking over the quarters above their store will mean major renovations for the new occupants, and none of the potential renters can envision the possibilities of the space – until one special couple shows up. With their ingenuity, the little girl’s big heart, and heaps of hard work, the desperate fixer-upper begins to change in lovely and surprising ways. In this bustling wordless picture book, JonArno Lawson’s touching story and Qin Leng’s gentle illustrations capture all angles of the building’s transformation, as well as the evolving perspectives of the girl and her grandparent. A warm and subtly nuanced tale, Over the Shop throws open the doors to what it means to accept people for who they are and to fill your home with love and joy.
The Pink Umbrella
By Amélie Callot
Illustrated by Geneviève Godbout
80 Pages | Ages 6-9 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781101919231 | Tundra Books
When it’s bright outside, Adele is the heart of her community, greeting everyone who comes into her café with arms wide open. But when it rains, she can’t help but stay at home inside, under the covers. Because Adele takes such good care of her friends and customers, one of them decides to take care of her too, and piece by piece leaves her little gifts that help her find the joy in a gray, rainy day. Along with cute-as-a-button illustrations, The Pink Umbrella celebrates thoughtful acts of friendship.
Alex’s Good Fortune
Baby Loves Lunar Phases on Chinese New Year!
Lunar New Year Mad Libs
Maisy’s Chinese New Year
The 12 Days of Lunar New Year
Ten Little Dumplings
