This month, familiar characters and concepts return in fresh new picture books.
Hansel & Gretel
Following Rapunzel and Little Red, Woollvin puts an original twist on a fairy tale classic. Willow—the fairy tale’s witch and this version’s kind heroine—welcomes the gnomelike Hansel and Gretel, but they, in turn, are nasty and ungrateful. Woollvin illustrates with pointy shapes and shades of black, gray, white, and orange. Hansel and Gretel’s well-deserved comeuppance is a treat for readers.
I’m Tough!
Coauthors Kate and Jim McMullan follow I Stink! and its sequels with another book about a self-assured vehicle: a red pickup truck with big eyes and a friendly grin. As with the McMullans’ previous characters, the truck makes proud, declarative statements—while still somehow seeming like a charming underdog. The series has a winning formula, and sticks to it.
Little Whale
In Little One, Weaver depicted the bond between a mother bear and her cub. This second book’s focus is on a gray whale mother and her calf, as they travel to the southern sea. In broad, charcoal-rendered illustrations, Weaver presents the whales’ beautiful—sometimes perilous—journey.
Q & Ray Case #3: Foul Play at Elm Tree Park
In their first adventure, hedgehog Quillan Lu Hedgeson (or “Q”), and rat Ray Ratzberg investigated the theft of “The Mona Lisa,” and in the second, a missing meteorite. Now, the friends take on the case of a stolen baseball. The Shaskans again offer an accessible comic for early readers, featuring a quirky cast of cartoon animals.
Balance the Birds
Ghahremani’s companion to Stack the Cats explores counting and the concept of balance with friendly, tweety birds. The birds perch on a tree’s branches, causing the tree to balance like a teeter totter, or to tip in one direction. Ghahremani, a graphic designer, illustrates in bright colors and solid shapes that are easy and fun to count.
Door
Lee’s debut wordless story, Pool took readers on a gently uncanny journey into a watery world. In this companion title, a child opens a latched door and steps into a land populated by a diverse assortment of friendly beings. The muted pencil drawings lend a commonplace feeling to the fantastical circumstances, as the boy plays, dines, and dances with the welcoming community at a wedding.
Edison: the Mystery of the Missing Mouse Treasure
Following Lindbergh: The Tale of a Flying Mouse and its sequel, Kuhlmann again blends history and adventure into a story featuring intrepid mouse characters. In this third book, a search for information about mouse Pete’s distant ancestor takes him on a far-flung adventure. Kuhlmann’s varied artwork includes cozy interior scenes, Leonardo da Vinci-style sketches of underwater submersibles, and striking depictions of ocean life.
I Am Human: A Book of Empathy
The third in a gentle, motivational series, following I Am Yoga and I Am Peace, encourages readers to practice compassion and kindness. The illustrations feature many diverse child characters, while Verde’s straightforward “I” statements invite self-reflection.
Vampirina in the Snow
When a snowstorm is afoot, ballet-loving Vampirina gets wrapped up in colorful patchwork clothes, and heads out to play, sled, and skate with her vampire family. Fans of the Disney Junior TV adaptation will be a ready audience for this latest outing, though Pace’s Vampirina is somewhat more ghoulish in appearance than the small screen character.
Little Bear's Big House
The titular Little Bear introduced in The Bear’s Song returns in a fourth picture book. It’s the beginning of spring, but his family is only just waking up; he treks out on his own and discovers a towering red mansion, where he makes himself at home. Unfortunately, there are other residents as well. Chaud offers readers playfully cluttered spreads, breakneck movement, and a touch of spookiness.
I Don't Want to Go to Sleep
The long-legged, big-mouthed frog who debuted in I Don’t Want to Be a Frog, reappears for a fourth story—and he’s still resisting being pigeonholed. It’s time for the frog to hibernate, but he would rather ice skate, play in the snow, and curl up by the fire like Cat. Boldt’s big, bold animal characters fill the pages, as dialogue balloons contribute to the liveliness of Petty’s storytelling.
The Wolf Who Visited the Land of Fairy Tales
Few fairy tale characters are more misunderstood than the big, bad Wolf. In this addition to the long-running series, first published in France, the long-snouted wolf just wants to make an apple cake for a tea party, but as he looks for a recipe, he encounters characters who misinterpret his intentions. Lallemand illustrates in an energetic, off-kilter style, peppered with references to numerous fairy tales.
Bear Can't Sleep
Wilson’s long-running series (with more than one million copies in print) began with Bear Snores On. In Bear’s newest tale, the ursine character is tucked away in his den, but can’t manage to fall asleep. In Chapman’s soothing illustrations, woodland friends help to bring on Bear’s snores, but it’s the telling of a story that finally does the trick.
Princess Arabella and the Giant Cake
Princess Arabella and her royal friends have a friendly competition to make Arabella’s grandmother the best and biggest birthday cake. With a diverse cast of characters and an effervescent heroine, Freeman presents another vibrant and multicultural vision of being a princess.
Small Walt and Mo the Tow
In Small Walt, Verdick introduced the titular, plucky snowplow, along with his driver, Gus. When they find a car stuck in a snowy ditch, Mo the Tow comes to help out. Verdick again delivers a satisfying story, while Rosenthal brings vintage-style charm to snowy, rural scenes.
Tallulah’s Ice Skates
Fans of the Tallulah series will know the protagonist as an aspiring ballerina. In her newest story, she tries her balletic skills on the ice in a snowy, urban park; when a confident, older skater offers some curt constructive criticism, it leads to frustration. Fans are sure to welcome the return of the earnest and determined heroine.
