Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including the biography of a figure from art history, a graphic novel memoir, the story of a turkey’s afterlife, and more.
Child of the Flower-Song People: Luz Jiménez, Daughter of the Nahua by Gloria Amescua, illus. by Duncan Tonatiuh. Abrams, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-4197-4020-6. Luz Jiménez (1897–1965) was a “child of the flower-song people, the powerful Aztecs, who called themselves Nahua—who lost their land, but who did not disappear.” Amescua excavates the compelling story of the woman known as “the spirit of Mexico” through her appearance in works by artists including Diego Rivera, Jean Charlot, and Tina Mondotti. The picture book biography earned a starred review from PW.
Big Apple Diaries by Alyssa Bermudez. Roaring Brook, $22.99; ISBN 978-1-250-77428-6. Bermudez (My Singing Nana) makes her solo debut with this humorous and sincere middle grade graphic novel memoir chronicling her middle school years in New York City, in the aftermath of 9/11.
Poultrygeist by Eric Geron, illus. by Pete Oswald. Candlewick, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-1050-7. When a chicken gets hit by a truck while crossing the road, it ends up on a very different “other side” than intended. Told by a passel of roadkill-turned-ghosts that its new job is to scare people (“It’s cock-a-doodle-BOO! Time for you!” declares a ghost raccoon), the mild-mannered chicken demurs.
Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America Edited by Margarita Longoria. Philomel, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-5932-0497-9. Featuring a diverse array of short stories, personal essays, poems, and comics from 19 creators of Mexican American descent, this YA anthology invites readers to “see a side of life, inside [Mexican American] culture, that is not often portrayed in the media.”
Gizmos, Gadgets, and Guitars: The Story of Leo Fender by Michael Mahin, illus. by Steven Salerno. Holt/Ottaviano, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-250-25186-2. This engrossing picture book biography follows Leo Fender (1909–1991), who loves tinkering so much that he runs a radio repair business in high school and, following the loss of his accountant job during the Great Depression, establishes an electronics repair shop in California, and then goes on to revolutionize electronic guitars.
Me (Moth) by Amber McBride. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-78036-2. Two teens travel, visiting national landmarks that connect them to the ghosts of their ancestors, as a tender love story unfolds. Debut author McBride covers serious topics such as grief and mental health, including suicidal ideation.
Monet’s Cat by Lily Murray, illus. by Becky Cameron. Random House Studio, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-593-30613-0. This gentle fantasy’s premise hinges on an actual porcelain cat figurine that Claude Monet (1840–1926) owned (an afterword includes a photo), imagined here as a lively character whom the painter chases through his own paintings.
The Endless Skies by Shannon Price. Tor Teen, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-250-30201-4. Price (A Thousand Fires) shifts between multiple perspectives in this high fantasy epic adventure in which a cure for a disease is sought as a love triangle deepens.
Pigskins to Paintbrushes: The Story of Football-Playing Artist Ernie Barnes by Don Tate. Abrams, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-4197-4943-8. In the Bottom, the African American neighborhood where Ernie Barnes lived in segregated Durham, N.C., expectations center on sports: “Play football—that’s what real boys do.” Barnes does play, eventually going pro, but maintains his art practice, parlaying his skill into becoming the official artist of the American Football League.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of August, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.