Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a story about rainy-day activities, a picture book biography of an activist, a middle grade Revolutionary War novel, the story of an aspiring actress, and many more.
The Think-Ups by Claire Alexander. Candlewick, $15.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-2012-4. In this picture book, two children use their imagination to make the most of a rainy day.
Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers by Lina AlHathloul and Uma Mishra-Newbery, illus. by Rebecca Green. MineditionUS, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-66265-064-2. Inspired by activist Loujain AlHathloul, who was incarcerated for her work “to change laws in Saudi Arabia that made it illegal for women to drive cars,” this picture book by her sister, with Mishra-Newbery, makes a real-life issue accessible for the youngest audiences.
Loyalty by Avi. Clarion, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-358-24807-1. Avi’s (Gold Rush Girl) story centers 13-year-old Noah Cope during the two years leading up to the American Revolution, tracing the steady unraveling of the boy’s devotion to his white family’s Loyalist stance as he witnesses—and experiences—events that begin to challenge his beliefs about England and the Sons of Liberty.
Dream, Annie, Dream by Waka T. Brown. Quill Tree, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-06-301716-0. Brown (While I Was Away) paints a realistic picture of one Japanese American child’s experiences as she traverses the highs and lows of friendship, middle school, and family expectations to fulfill her dreams, despite the bigoted thinking of people around her.
Across a Field of Starlight by Blue Delliquanti. Random House Graphic, $23.99; ISBN 978-0-593-12413-0. Two nonbinary youths who meet as kids ally against fascism in this spacefaring middle grade graphic novel with a Star Wars feel.
Color the Sky by David Elliott, illus. by Evan Turk. Little, Brown, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-316-21207-6. As telegraphic verse lines by Elliott (Baabwaa and Wooliam) express a range of natural colors occurring on wild birds, Turk (The People’s Painter) illustrates with vivid, kinetic avian forms.
The Keeper by Guadalupe García McCall. HarperCollins, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-06-307692-1. García McCall’s (All the Stars Denied) middle grade mystery novel of sibling courage interweaves moments of genuine horror with touching scenes of familial tenderness.
Pixels of You by Ananth Hirsh and Yuko Ota, illus. by J.R. Doyle. Amulet, $22.99; ISBN 978-1-4197-4957-5. Via a semifuturistic New York City populated by people and sentient artificial intelligences, Hirsh and Ota (Lucky Penny) present the moody chronicling of a relationship just beginning in this YA graphic novel.
My Parents Won't Stop Talking! by Emma Hunsinger and Tillie Walden. Roaring Brook, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-80027-5. The narrator of this picture book is eager for a family outing to the park until progress is interrupted: her parents are intercepted by neighbors, and the four grown-ups settle in for a long chat.
Snail’s Ark by Irene Latham, illus. by Mehrdokht Amini. Putnam, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-10939-7. In a picture book retelling of Noah’s Ark with deep resonance, the creators capture the many emotions of seeing a big event through small eyes.
Not Enough Lollipops by Megan Maynor, illus. by Micah Player. Knopf, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-593-37256-2. When Alice wins a wagonload of lollipops in a school raffle, all of her classmates clamor for one in this picture book.
No Filter and Other Lies by Crystal Maldonado. Holiday House, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-8234-4718-3. Maldonado (Fat Chance, Charlie Vega) portrays complex family dynamics and layered interiority in this sophomore novel about a teen photographer who finds herself weaving an increasingly tangled web of lies via a fake Instagram account. The YA novel earned a starred review from PW.
From Dust, a Flame by Rebecca Podos. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-269906-0. Podos (The Wise and the Wicked) shifts between Hannah’s first-person voice and a third-person narrative from the past, deftly blending Jewish fact and legend to create a tale of secrets, history, and daring set in Jamaica Plain, Mass.
Free Speech Handbook by Ian Rosenberg and Mike Cavallaro. First Second, $28.99; ISBN 978-1-250-61975-4. This nonfiction graphic narrative provides an excellent introduction to the little-understood theory and practice of free speech in America. The book earned a starred review from PW.
The Greatest Thing by Sarah Winifred Searle. First Second, $25.99; ISBN 978-1-250-29723-5. Searle’s semi-autobiographical graphic novel covers teen relationships, mental health, art-making, and disordered eating with crackling specificity.
Powwow Day by Traci Sorell, illus. by Madelyn Goodnight. Charlesbridge, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-58089-948-2. In sensory-focused lines, Sorell (We Are Still Here!), who is Cherokee, creates a resonant, hopeful tale about the healing power of community and tradition, capturing the powwow’s essence. The picture book earned a starred review from PW.
Golden Boys by Phil Stamper. Bloomsbury, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5476-0737-2. Stamper (As Far as You’ll Take Me) has written a duology opener about navigating the familial, romantic, and vocational challenges that come with taking ones first steps away from home and familiarity.
Cold by Mariko Tamaki. Roaring Brook, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-62672-273-6. In this atmospheric YA murder mystery, the body of 17-year-old white high schooler Todd Mayer—a gay, frequently bullied student—is found naked and frozen in a park. Meanwhile, classmate Georgia, who feels inexplicably connected to Todd because they are both queer, tries to make connections between the killing and something she saw.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of February, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
